


Another Ending

by Chatdelalune



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:10:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26210122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chatdelalune/pseuds/Chatdelalune
Summary: After calling the police on a persistent stalker, you thought that would be the last you heard of Unknown.But it only takes one more phone call for you to cross paths again.//Based on one the 'bad' endings in Another Story in which Mc calls the police and unintentionally brings down Mint Eye.
Relationships: Choi Saeran/Main Character, Choi Saeran/Reader
Comments: 42
Kudos: 157





	1. Cubicles and Voicemails

_“-So what do you think?”_

“Yeah...no thanks, I’ll pass.”

 _“Why? Weren’t you interested? It’s an app where you can chat with pretty guys,”_ he asked, sounding genuinely surprised. _“Only you can play this game.”_

You huffed, placing a hand on your hip. “Well it’s not even real and I really don’t feel like missing work for a dating sim.”

_“For real? Then how about this? If you come here and do a good job testing the game, then you might catch someone’s interest. For example...me.”_

Nearly tripping on a crack on the sidewalk, you barely managed to steady yourself and felt your jaw drop at his audacity. 

“I-Sorry? I don’t even know your name!” You said, incredulously. “Like I said before, I’ll pass.” 

A pregnant pause passed. He was silent, the only sound you could hear was the faint whirring of a computer. Then he started to laugh, a harsh sound injected with madness that made goosebumps form on your arms. _“Ha, haha...haha...That’s so sad. I’m so sad…_ ” His laughter dissolved into hysterical sobbing. _“...I really believed you were going to make my dream come true...Believed you were the one I would go to paradise with...”_

You narrowed your eyes at his weak manipulation. “Paradise?”

 _“The place I was trying to take you to. That place is paradise. Where there is no pain or sadness, just endless happiness. A world more exciting than the game,”_ he slowly spoke, as if savoring the words. _“I’m the angel that will lead you to paradise. You’ve just let go of my hand...but don’t worry. I don’t plan to let you go just yet. I’m sad, but I guess this is also the path to paradise. I’d like to see what kind of face you’ll make when you have been truly saved by entering paradise. I want to see it with my own eyes.”_

A small spike of anxiety and fear flashed through your body upon hearing his words. But you quickly squashed down the feeling and tried to hang up again. 

This time it worked. 

…

The next day was the same as yesterday and the day before that. Your work blended into a constant monotonous haze only broken up by the director’s occasional cat project and the few precious days that you had off. But even then, it all fell into a boring predictable pattern neatly marked on your calendar. 

It was all anyone like you could’ve asked for. 

Sliding into your cubicle, you booted up your computer and glanced around the office. Sehui still hadn’t arrived for work, though she usually made it just in time, something that was constantly giving your supervisor white hairs. 

Over your shoulder, you could see Jaehee robotically typing away, 2 empty cups of coffee on her desk and a third one about to join them. After greeting her and a couple other coworkers, you began to sort out through your paperwork. It had almost been a year since you were hired here you noticed, crossing out another day on your calendar. 

Almost a year since you graduated college. 

Running a hand through your hair, you sighed. So much had changed since then. 

You shook your head. It was much too early in the morning to be reminiscing about the past. Besides, your computer had long since booted up and you doubted your supervisor would be pleased to find you staring at the home screen. 

Tugging your sleeves up, you logged in and got to work. 

Before you knew it, it was time for your lunch break. Usually you’d go to the cafeteria with Sehui, but she hadn’t come in. So instead, you made your way to the cafe next door. There wasn’t anything really special about it, but it felt nice. Kinda like getting a little treat for yourself in the form of a bubble tea and hot sandwich. 

The other nice thing was that your lunch break was a little earlier than most people’s, so you never really had to deal with the rush of hungry office workers all scrambling for a fresh coffee and pastry. Meaning, you got the chance to sit at a table and enjoy your food in peace, without having to deal with the usual office drone. 

But just as you were about to dig in, your phone started to ring. Huffing, you put your sandwich down and checked the number. Unknown. Your eye twitched as you declined the call.

…

You stretched, hearing your back pop with a satisfying crack. Then you logged out of your computer and clocked out. Most of the office had usually clocked out by this time, but there was always one person who never seemed to leave.

The pile of documents on Jaehee’s desk had only grown since this morning and you noticed she was staring at the picture of the handsome man she kept under her mousepad. Things must’ve really gotten desperate for her. You made a small note to bring her an energy drink tomorrow. 

As soon as the cool evening air hit your face, you could feel your mood instantly brighten. The sky was a beautiful mix of orange and violet, marking the end of the day for many office workers in this district. Fishing your phone from your pocket, you quickly checked the time, not wanting to miss another episode of Star Crossed Lovers. Though your mood soured a little when you noticed that Unknown had left you a voicemail. The notification for it wouldn’t go away until you listened to it, so you popped in an earbud as you made your way home. 

_Are you avoiding my calls deliberately? You’re not avoiding me, are you?_   
_No, you wouldn’t do that. Tomorrow...I’ll call again when you’re alone. Bye._

You scowled. Just another petty attempt at manipulation to get you to answer back or whatever he meant by calling you again. Hadn’t you already made it abundantly clear yesterday that you had no intention of falling for his little scheme?

Unknown must’ve been one of those people-the ones who couldn’t take no for an answer. You sucked in a sharp breath and tried to calm down. Even if he did call you tomorrow, you wouldn’t answer. Eventually, he’d have to face the music.   
…

The next morning, you made the time to wake up earlier than normal to pass by the convenience store and as soon as you entered the office, you saw that you guessed correctly yesterday. Jaehee was all but slumped over at her desk, making you wonder if she even went home last night. 

You placed the can as gently as you could on her desk, not wanting to startle her. 

“Rough night?”

She nodded, bleary-eyed and barely conscious. Her hands slowly wrapped around the can and popped it open, carefully tipping it towards her lips. “Mr. Han’s gotten the insane idea to do another cat project.” Jaehee then sat up and adjusted her glasses in an attempt to look more dignified. 

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “Seriously? We’re still trying to recover from the last one…”

Jaehee sighed, sounding just as exhausted as she looked. “That’s what I told him, but he seems quite intent on it. Anyways, be prepared for a briefing later, since his proposal will probably be successful.”

And with that, the two of you got back to work. Sehui arrived not long after, a cup of coffee in her hand, looking just as manicured as always. You raised a hand in greeting and she smiled sheepishly, a sign you did not want to know about her sudden absence yesterday. 

Later in the day, just as Jaehee warned, your supervisor called your department into the meeting room to discuss the new project: Luxury Cat Collars- a presentation complete with photos of the director’s cat and tired sighs from just about everyone. 

Not even the supervisor could hide his irritation as he handed out different assignments and deadlines. Sehui could only shake her head in disappointment as she looked at her list. 

“You know, this is the last thing you’d expect from someone like Director Han,” she sighed, sinking into the desk next to you. 

You nodded in agreement and skimmed through your list, noting the small but unmistakable cat paw print on the page corners. Somehow you had a feeling that Mr. Han could, he’d change the C&R logo to Elizabeth the 3rd’s silhouette. 

“Such a gap moe,” you muttered under your breath. 

…

As a result of the new cat project, you ended up clocking out a little later than usual. Luckily Star-Crossed Lovers got delayed due to a baseball game, so you took your time walking home. Even at this late hour, the streets were still flooded with people and food vendors. The street lamps were just starting to turn on and nearby cafes were closing up shop. 

You paused for a minute to take it all in. It felt so foreign to just enjoy a leisurely walk home, not having to worry about a second job or any upcoming exams. It felt so strange that your only concerns now were whether or not you’d miss a new episode of your favorite drama. Perhaps that’s why you felt a sudden spike of anxiety. You were so unused to this, even after nearly a year, that your body still felt like something was missing. A small smile tugged at the corner of your mouth. 

In the midst of your musings, it was easy to ignore the vibrating of your cell phone. 

In fact, you didn’t notice until you finally got home and checked your phone. One missed call and one voicemail. 

_You’re not answering. There was a secret I wanted to tell you. Too bad. Perhaps you’re afraid of my calls? Or...are you expecting this voice message? I’ll call again, let me hear your voice tomorrow...Bye._

Uncurling your fists, you deleted the voicemail and tried to relax on your couch. A secret? Yeah right. It was just another attempt to try and get you to answer him or call him back. It was nothing you hadn’t heard before and nothing you’d ever fall for again. 

…

Today, the office was a little more frantic than usual, what with the whole department struggling to meet Mr. Han’s incredulous deadline. By now, the gossip had made its way through the office, leaving little wonder as to why the director suddenly started a new project. Apparently Chairman Han had dumped his last girlfriend and was seeing a new one. 

The chairman’s antics had long been known to anyone who worked in this building, especially the women who were often victims of the chairman’s incessant flirting. Still, it always irritated Mr. Han whenever the news made headlines, leading to everyone becoming stressed over the matter. And though you were neck deep in paperwork and other assignments, Jaehee was in over her head. 

So much so that the paperwork was practically flying off of her desk in some strange frenzy. The trash can next to her desk was filled with energy drinks and coffee cups and she definitely looked a little worse for wear, with those dark eyebags and pale skin. You couldn’t help but wonder if she even had time to eat this morning.

…

During your lunch break, you managed to escape to the café, desperate for a least a few minutes of peace and an energy boost. While waiting for your order, you spent a bit of time scrolling through your phone. 

With such a busy day, Unknown was the farthest thing from your mind, so you were caught off guard when he called you. Annoyed, you declined the call and waited for the inevitable voicemail that would follow. Hopefully this would be the last one. 

_Everything’s set now. No use avoiding now. I’m coming for you now. Wait for me tomorrow at the café you’re in today. Come with me, please?_

You froze, feeling goosebumps form on your arms and your heart rate quicken. How did he know you were in a café right now? The place was nearly empty, with only a few customers here and there, but no one that looked suspicious. You glanced outside, but were met with a similar site. 

Cursing, you ran a hand through your hair. Somehow you had a feeling he’d find you even if you didn’t come to here tomorrow. If he already had your current location, then you could guess at what else he knew. 

Well, whatever he was trying to play, you weren’t one to take things like this lightly. So as soon as you received your order, you stepped outside and called the police. 

…

“Jaehee, I got you some lunch. You haven’t eaten yet, right?”

She looked startled as she adjusted her glasses. “Oh, thank you! No, I haven’t had any time to go to the cafeteria.”

“I figured as much,” you said, taking a seat at your desk behind her. “I can barely see you over the stack of papers on your desk.”

She smiled half-heartedly. “Well, at least this is the bulk of it. If I can get these done today, then I should have less work to do tomorrow.”

You grabbed your sandwich out of your bag. “I just wish Mr. Han wouldn’t take it out on us whenever he gets stressed…”

“You can thank Mr. Chairman for that.”

Another frustrated sigh escaped you and you could tell she felt the same way. 

Then you remembered that her predecessor had fallen victim to the chairman’s charm. Mr. Han had fired her when he found out about the affair. The whole office was left walking on eggshells for weeks after that incident. But it was a little hard to feel pity for the director after he flooded the department with cat project after cat project. 

Jaehee had been hired not long after that and you wondered if the chairman had tried to hit on her too. You sucked in a sharp breath at the thought. He must've. Chairman Han would flirt with anything that speaks. It must've been tiring dealing with that constantly.   
…

Glancing out the window, you felt your shoulders slump. The moon was high in the sky, a bright silver light against the inky darkness of night. Hundreds of other buildings like this one formed jagged lines across the skyline, their own bright lights drowning out most of the stars. Jaehee was still typing away at her desk and would probably be here for another hour or two, if she left at all. It was little wonder to anyone why your coworker nicknamed her the poltergeist of C&R. 

Of all the days to finish work late, it had to be the one where Unknown had all but threatened to kidnap you tomorrow. Most of the evening crowd had gone home already, leaving the streets feeling a little too empty and quiet for your tastes. Instantly you felt a little more alert, as you straightened your back and clutched your purse tighter. 

Normally you wouldn’t be so cautious of the silence, but you had remembered Unknown’s voicemail all too clearly and it felt as though he could be hiding anywhere. When you first listened to it, the full severity of his implications hadn’t quite dawned on you yet. And sure, you reported him as a stalker to the police and had relayed the information to them but...Unknown knew you were in a cafe when he called you...and if he knew that much, then what else did he know? 

Had he been following you these past few days? Or possibly even weeks? Was he following you right now? You tossed another nervous glance behind your shoulder, and though you saw nothing out of the ordinary, it did little to relieve your growing fear. 

Adding fuel to the fire, was that you didn’t even know who Unknown was. You didn’t know his name, his face, or motivations. Anybody could be Unknown. Hell, he could even be a coworker or the guy sitting on that bench and you’d be none the wiser. Taking in a deep breath, you slapped your cheeks, the brief tingling of pain distracting you from pursuing that train of thought any further. Thinking anymore on the subject wouldn’t do you any good, in fact it might just keep you up all night which was the last thing you needed. The best you could do at the moment was to be extra cautious tonight, and trust that you wouldn't have to deal with him the day after tomorrow. 

…

And sure enough, your trust was not in vain. 

The next two days passed by without much notice. Which is to say, Unknown did not call again, nor did he leave behind any voicemails. 

So it made it all too easy to forget about the whole affair, especially when your work only seemed to mount higher and higher. 

After a few days had passed, you felt your heart lighten as you finally managed to clock out on time. You felt relief in knowing that most of the important paperwork had been completed and all the necessary meetings and appointments had been made. The project was almost to its end and it should be smooth sailing from here on out. 

But on your way home, you looked up to see a large electronic billboard broadcasting the local news.

A group involved in abductions, illegal drug abuses, and other illegal practices was caught red-handed by the police. Currently, an arrest warrant for the leader of this religious cult has been issued and…

Your eyes widened in surprise. How scary...To think there were people who actually did things like that. It sounded like it was straight out of a movie. But you were a cautious person, so your chances of getting involved in something like that were little to none. And it was then that you wondered if Unknown had been involved in this or at least related to that group. 

You scoffed. Nah, that would’ve been way too much of a coincidence to be true. Besides, you had more important things to worry about, such as which place you were going to order fried chicken from.   
...

“Hey, (Y/N), did you see the news last night? Apparently they caught some crazy cult in the mountains.”

You sat across from your coworker, enjoying a much needed lunch break. It seemed like this Mint Eye stuff was all anyone could talk about, and for good reason too, considering all of the illegal activities that group had been involved with. 

“I think I’ve seen some of their members trying to recruit people on the streets a couple weeks ago. Remember those people yelling about salvation?”

Sehui paused, stroking an imaginary beard as she thought. “Hmm, it was when we were getting out of work, right? They were pretty close to the office.”

“I guess they must’ve been scouting for easy targets in disillusioned office workers...”

She nodded and placed her coffee cup down. “But did you hear about the cult’s leader? I think her name was Rika. Apparently she used to be the head of a charity association.” 

“Charity association? That’s a pretty drastic change in career.”

“Yeah...And you know what the most disturbing part is?”

Sehui looked down at the table, clutching her cup so tightly you were afraid she might break it. 

“Most of the cult members had been guests from Rika’s previous charity parties. She drugged them until they became nothing but brainwashed lackeys. And the police still haven’t found her yet…”

“I’m sure they’ll catch her soon. I mean, considering the fact that they’ve plastered her photo everywhere it shouldn’t be long.”

“That’s true...but apparently she managed to convince quite a number of influential people to join her group...”

You reached over to pat Sehui’s hand. “I’m sure it’s fine. It’s in her best interest to lie low anyways, so I don’t think she’ll be doing anything more than hiding right now.”

She nodded, but doubt was still clearly etched in her features.   
…

“Make sure to finish these before you go home today, (Y/N).”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh and before I forget, the director wanted to speak with you so when you finish with that, let Jaehee know.”

Raising a brow, you looked up from your desk. “Why does Mr. Han want to speak with me?”

Your supervisor shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t stress too much.”

As soon as he walked away from your desk and was out of earshot, you turned around to ask her about it. Her face tightened. 

“It’s nothing bad, but I can’t talk about it now. I’m sure Mr. Han will explain it to you later.”

Raising an eyebrow, you nodded, though her answer only made you more anxious. She was acting a bit strange and all day it seemed like she was on edge, despite the relatively normal amount of workflow. Something strange was going on. Something that you couldn’t quite put your finger on. 

Regardless, you still had a job to do, so you tried to avoid thinking about it. Not that it helped your nerves. It wasn’t as if Mr. Han was a terrible boss or anything, but hardly any of his employees ever met with him one-on-one, the exceptions being your supervisor and Jaehee. 

Somehow had a feeling you’d have to miss out on another episode of Star Crossed Lovers. 

…

“Mr. Han should be inside right now,” Jaehee said as she briskly walked down the hall to Mr. Han’s office. “However, he brought Elizabeth the 3rd to the office today so be warned of C-Hair.”

You looked over to Jaehee and plucked a stray white hair from her jacket. “Like this one?”

She rubbed her face tiredly. “Yes...I’ve found that duct tape works best to remove it…”

“I’ll keep that in mind…”

Jaehee then knocked on the director’s door.

“Mr. Han, (Y/N) is here.”

“Come in,” a deep voice replied. She opened the door and guestered for you to go inside. 

The first thing you noticed was the director’s small white cat, which was resting in his lap. You’ve seen it before and had even watched it a few times so Jaehee could get lunch or a snack from the vending machine. It was the most spoiled cat you’ve ever met, though she looked quite well behaved with Mr. Han. The chief assistant and the director then nodded at each other, before she turned around and left, closing the door behind her. 

He gestured to the seat in front of his desk and you sat down, doing your best to stop your legs from shaking too badly. His sharp black eyes felt as if they were piercing right through you, analyzing every bit of emotion of your face. Then he blinked and leaned back in his chair. 

“I’m sure you’ve heard the news going around lately, regarding the religious cult that they found in the mountains a couple days ago.”

You nodded, your nerves suddenly gone and replaced by confusion. 

“And I assume you’ve also heard about the arrest warrant for the leader of that group.”

“Yes…?”

“According to my sources, it was your phone call to the police that led to the arrest of this group.”

You raised an eyebrow. “My phone call to the police? But I only called them to report a stalker.”

Unless...Unless...Unknown really was involved with that group like you initially suspected. You felt your mouth go dry at the possible danger you were in and felt a million times better about not having fallen for his trap. Granted, it wasn’t that difficult. 

Mr. Han must’ve noticed your change in expression because he continued. 

“Normally I wouldn’t have bothered to talk to you about this, however the leader of that group, Mint Eye, used to be the head of a charity organisation called the R.F.A.”

“Ramen Filled Aristocats?” You asked, the name ringing a bell from the first phone call, when Unknown was trying to explain the premise of the game. Apparently this did not sit well with Mr. Han as his eye twitched before correcting you. 

“Rika’s Fundraising Association. It’s a group composed of a few close friends that threw parties to raise money for various charities. Assistant Kang and myself are a part of that group and up until a few days ago, we both believed Rika to be dead.”

You furrowed your brows. 

“6 months ago, Rika reportedly committed suicide. And now she’s wanted for running a religious cult that was involved in abductions, drug abuses, and several other illegal practices. So I’m sure you can understand the confusion our organisation is currently in and how lacking in information we are.” He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. “So I’d like to hear your full story on what exactly happened with this stalker that you reported.”

Taking in a deep breath, you sighed and started from the beginning.   
…

“So this Unknown character wanted you to take the place as the RFA’s party coordinator under the guise of testing a game for him?”

You nodded, feeling the tips of your ears burn at the mention of the game. Conveniently, you forgot to mention that the game was advertised as a dating sim. One that would’ve apparently involved him and Jaehee. There were just some things you didn’t mention to your boss and this was one of them. 

“And he wanted you to go to an unknown location? I’m assuming this would’ve been the Mint Eye headquarters in the mountains.”

“Yes. About three days ago he wanted to meet with me, so I could go to this place with him. So I called the police.”

A corner of Mr. Han’s lip lifted, a small sign of approval before a more serious expression overtook his face. He rested his chin on his folded hands, deep in thought. You briefly wondered if your information had raised more questions than answers. 

“I see,” he finally spoke after a while, standing up and offering his hand. You also stood up and shook it. “Thank you for your time. I appreciate you answering these questions.” 

“It’s no problem sir. Please excuse me then,” you bowed your head and quickly exited his office, not really wanting to linger around much longer. It had gotten pretty late, but Jaehee was still at her desk, not that it made you feel much better. She was always the last one to leave. 

It was difficult not to feel pity for the poor woman who did way more than any average assistant was supposed to do, especially with a boss that had such high expectations and crazy demands. You silently resolved to bring her a cup of coffee the next morning. 

And just as you started walking home, your phone began to ring. You checked your phone, fearing that it was Unknown again, but thankfully it wasn’t. Instead, it was the local hospital, which made you raise a brow, but you answered it nonetheless. 

_“Hello, is this (Y/N) (L/N)?”_

“Yes…?”

_“Ah good. I’m calling from Cheli Hospital about Mr. Saeran Choi? We need someone to sign some papers regarding treatment for drug overdose and he said you're the only person who can do that.”_

“I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong number. I don’t know anyone named Saeran Choi.”

_“He said you might recognize him by his nickname instead...Unknown?”_

You froze, pausing in the middle of a busy sidewalk. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! I was kinda curious about what would've happened after Mc called the police and it got outta hand (Also I love Unknown and I haven't written anything for him yet)


	2. Early Sunsets

“Sorry to call you such short notice, but we just got him back from the detention center after the police realized what kind of drugs were in his system,” Nurse Lee apologized, a small smile on her face.

“It wasn’t until after the police stormed the cult building that they realized not only how dangerous that ‘elixir’ was, but the amount of people that had ingested them. So we’ve been up to our necks with patients and all that it entails. I’m glad we managed to reach you though. Mr. Choi named you as his reference and since he’s under the influence of those drugs, we can’t legally have him sign anything.”

You nodded absentmindedly. The news broadcast had already gone over most of it.

After carefully scanning the document for anything strange, you signed the paper and handed it back to the nurse. It felt strange to sign something this important for someone you've never met. 

With a flourish, you finished signing and returned the papers. An awkward pause occurred, in which you weren't sure if there was anything else you had to do, other than smile politely. After a few more moments, the nurse finished checking the papers and nodded. But just as you were about to leave, she spoke up. 

“Would you like to see him? I think he’s asleep right now, but he might appreciate it anyways.”

You stiffened, your mouth going dry at the idea. 

It wasn’t out of fear, not really anyways, but the thought of meeting with someone who’d harassed you with strange voicemails…wasn’t great. And normally, you would’ve declined and been on your merry way. 

However...there was just that _little_ bit of curiosity. The little bit of curiosity to see this person who made all those phone calls to you. So against your better judgement, you nodded and let Nurse Lee guide you to Unknown’s room. 

Following her through the maze of a hospital, she led you to an isolated hallway near the back of the building. Several police officers were standing guard outside of a door with the name plaque S. Choi on it. The nurse easily brushed past them after showing them her I.D. and gently knocked on the door. After she heard no response, she shrugged and opened it, gesturing for you to follow her inside. 

Heart pounding in your ears, you willed yourself to relax and walked in.

...

...

...

The iron bars placed on the windows were the first thing that drew your attention. The second thing were the restraints that strapped Unknown to the hospital bed. For a moment, you wondered if you'd wandered into a jail cell instead of a hospital room. It felt like a scene from a horror film. The nurse must’ve noticed your surprise because she quickly explained. 

“He’s still being detained until further investigation takes place. Normally we’d only handcuff him, but he somehow managed to slip past those and tried to escape. He also turned quite...violent towards some of the staff so unfortunately we had to resort to this.” 

Her words should’ve made you turn around and run all the way home. The only thing stopping you was decorum. Swallowing thickly, you forced yourself to move towards him. Your eyes widened at the sight. 

Saeran Choi was like a ghost. With bleached white hair and nearly translucent skin, he was the very definition of one. 

His eyelids fluttered and his face contorted into a grimace, a light sheen of sweat covering his skin. The nurse behind you shifted. 

“Mr. Choi has been suffering from fairly severe withdrawal symptoms and the lab is still working on an antidote for the elixir. But we should be able to administer it soon”

“So is he being sedated, right now?”

She nodded. “There is a chance he could wake up, but it’s not likely. Anyways, I’ll leave you two alone for now, but please remember that visiting hours will be over soon. I’m sure the guards outside can give you directions when you're done, so please excuse me.”

And with that, she left the room. You turned your attention back to Saeran, wondering if it'd be considering creepy to brush away the hair from his forehead. He was a stranger to you and looking at him in this state, it was hard to imagine that he was the one stalking you.

Saeran had to be around your age if you had to guess and relatively good-looking, a vast difference from the person you'd been expecting. Somehow, when you imagined Unknown, you pictured some faceless middle aged creep. You supposed that's why you weren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover. 

But you were ripped away from your musings by the sudden appearance of bright mint eyes. Eyes that were much too alert for someone who had been under heavy sedation. Flinching, you quickly drew your hand back and felt the uncomfortable heat of embarrassment creep up your neck. 

“Uh...Hello…”

“(Y/N),” Saeran stated, his voice like the calm before a storm. You felt the hairs on your arms raise in anticipation and took a step back.

“Unknown.”

“You betrayed me…” he whispered, his eyes suddenly wide and full of tears. You took another step back. “Why? I was going to take you to paradise and yet…you didn’t take my hand.”

Your heart was pounding loudly in your ears and pictured a rabbit trapped by a tiger. Saeran's wide eyes then narrowed, his eyes shiny with malice that grew as he sensed your apprehension. 

“What's that look for? Don’t tell me you regret it now…” he grinned and gave an experimental shrug, as if testing the strength of the leather straps. “All you had to do was accept his offer...and yet…”

The smile slid off his face. "You betrayed me..." Saeran finished, his voice low and dangerous. His mouth contorted into a snarl as the rest of his features twisted into something unrecognizable with anger. You felt your back bump against the wall just as he began to violently struggle against his restraints. 

“You traitor!” he suddenly screamed, his voice high-pitched and deranged. “YOU BETRAYED ME.”

The door next to you then slammed open as the officers from earlier rushed into the room. Seizing the opportunity, you all but ran out of the room and down the hallway, his screams following you all the way home. 

...

You leaned against the doorframe of your apartment, slamming the door closed and dragging yourself towards the bed. You felt so tired and not just in the physical sense. 

But considering everything that happened today and the sudden influx of new information, it wasn’t that surprising.

First your boss tells you the stalker that had been harassing you was a part of that Mint Eye cult from the news.

Second, the leader of said group had been presumed dead for 6 months now. And yet the police found her in the woods, guilty of not only creating that group, but also being involved in illegal drug and kidnaping schemes.

Third, that stalker from earlier had put you down as his reference in the hospital, meaning you had to sign documents for his treatment. 

It was a lot to take in. 

And it was nothing you wanted to be apart of. 

Or at least that's what you tried to tell yourself. After all, you were perfectly well adjusted now, and had the life you'd always dreamed of: well paying office job, your own apartment, and complete independence. The very picture of a boring, yet well-respected member of society. Which was exactly why you should just turn the other way and forget about all this cult and R.F.A. stuff. 

And yet...there was something that drew you towards it. Something that invited you to try and solve this mysterious puzzle, even if it was more than you could chew. 

…

The next morning you must’ve looked really fucked up because Jaehee offered you a cup of coffee after seeing you walk into the office. 

You gratefully downed the cup, feeling the caffeine already working its magic on your sleep deprived self. 

“Did you have a rough night?” She asked, her curious eyes betraying her casual tone. 

“Oh kind of haha...I just accidentally binge watched this show.”

Jaehee smiled, easily accepting this explanation. “I understand, I’ve done the same many times before. But Zen’s musical’s are just that good.”

“Zen?”

“Oh! He’s a musical actor with incredible talent! I just bought this DVD the other day and stayed up all night watching it,” she sparkled, her voice rising in excitement. “The sword fighting scene was especially riveting!”

You covered your mouth, hiding your laugh. “I didn’t take you for much of a fangirl, Jaehee.”

She puffed up proudly. "If you saw him onstage then I'm sure you'd be just as-"

An awkward cough cut off the rest of your conversation as your supervisor raised an eyebrow at the both of you, in his arms a fresh stack of papers. 

“Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but we’re having a meeting in room 2 if you’d like to join us at some point.”

You felt the heat of embarrassment creep up your neck and you noticed Jaehee readjusting her glasses, her ears bright red. 

“Yes, sir. We’ll be right there.”

…

Wordlessly, you and Jaehee took a seat next to Sehui just as your supervisor, Jace, began to speak. 

“Alright, so due to unforeseen circumstances, Director Han has decided to cancel the cat collar project and instead focus on more profitable businesses. As such, I will be reassigning tasks and …”

The room broke out into whispers, shock being the most popular sentiment. 

You raised a brow at Jaehee, but she only shook her head, confirming your suspicions. On the other side of you, Sehui was pouting, no doubt upset about all of the now lost work she’d put into the trashed project. 

But that quickly became old news during lunch, when she slid into the seat next to you a devious grin on her face. 

“So...I heard you met with Mr. Han yesterday?” Sehui asked, her eyes practically sparkling. “What did he say? Did he ask you out or something?”

Scoffing, you playfully shoved her arm. “Yes, Sehui. Our boss who I’ve never spoken to before declared his undying love for me and proposed on the spot.”

“You never know,” she giggled, a light blush dusting her cheeks. “Seriously though, what did he want.”

“Remember that stalker guy I reported to the police? Mr. Han just wanted to make sure nothing else was happening since it might affect my work.”

You felt a little bad not telling her the whole truth, but considering what you had talked about with Mr. Han yesterday...it felt best to keep that information private. You also neglected to mention the fact that you visited that same stalker at the hospital yesterday. But it was better to keep as much information regarding... _this_ , to yourself. Plus, Sehui would probably freak out which was the last thing you needed. 

“How cold,” she pouted. “But I guess that’s expected of the Ice King himself.”

“Ice King? Is that another nickname you came up with?”

She winked. “Yup! It suits him though, doesn’t it?”

You sighed, feeling an imaginary sweat-drop form on your forehead. And yet, it was nice to talk with Sehui about things as silly as this. The past week had felt like such a whirlwind of emotions, you would’ve found it difficult to talk about anything more serious.

It was strange how well Sehui always managed to sense things as small as this, but you were grateful for it. 

…

Dragging yourself out of your chair, you clocked out and looked back at the office. With all of the work that involved cancelling a project and starting a new one, most of the department ended up staying late. Jaehee especially, the papers on her desk growing to a concerning height. 

You considered her for a moment. Mr. Han said she was a part of the R.F.A. too. Meaning, she must've known more about the situation and perhaps even had answers for some of your questions. But if you approached her with the explicit purpose of getting information, she’d be suspicious and you’d be worse for it.

Shaking your head, you walked back over to her desk and offered her a snack from the vending machine. She was your friend and coworker first. Not some informant you had shake down for info. 

Jaehee's eyes lit up at the sight of the small cake. “Oh! How did you know these were my favorites?”

“Well, it's the only thing I ever see you eat from the vending machine,” you laughed.

The corners of her eyes creased as she took it and immediately opened them. “Thank you...I haven’t had time for dinner yet, but these should tide me over till then.”

You clasped her hands in yours, “Next time let’s get dinner then!"

“That sounds fun," she smiled, a light blush on her face. 

...

You plopped down on your couch and turned on your T.V. to watch _Star Crossed Lovers_ but you didn’t really see any of it. Instead your thoughts were still swirling around the R.F.A. 

A couple internet searches revealed the homepage of the organization and a few photos from past parties and events. One of the pages had a list of members in the association but not much else. If you searched up Mint Eye, the only articles available were news websites talking about what the police investigation had uncovered. Nothing that hadn’t already been talked about in news broadcasts and nothing that would answer your questions. 

But you had a feeling there was someone who could. After all, he was the one who texted you in the first place. He was the one who got you involved in this mess. 

You paused and shook your head. Okay, no. No no no no, this was getting out of hand. This isn't even your mystery to solve. Last night, you'd already told yourself that you were perfectly content with your life. Therefore there was no good reason for you to get involved other than your blatant curiosity with the matter. You slammed your phone down and moved to the kitchen to get a cup of water. 

It was best to just leave everything to the detectives and the R.F.A. But still, the secrets that sounded those organizations called to you like a siren's song, matter how hard to tried to rationalize with yourself. 

…

Work progressed as smoothly as ever the next day. Perhaps even more so, now that Mr. Han had directed the department to focus on actual projects, a welcome respite from the flood of cat projects. And for you, it was something to distract you from the tantalizing mystery of the R.F.A. Sure, you swore to keep your nose out of it, but now that you knew it was difficult to not think about. 

Even Sehui noticed your intense concentration and jokingly asked if Mr. Han had actually scolded you the other day. You laughed and joked back, but didn’t miss Jaehee’s curious gaze. It felt like she’d been observing you since that day, carefully monitoring you to make sure you didn’t leak out anything Mr. Han had told you. Meaning you were right in not asking her anything. 

And maybe another sign to stay out of their business. 

…

You were just walking past the giant billboard again, when your phone started to ring.

A call from the hospital. 

With less hesitation than you should've had, you answered the call. Perhaps a little too eagerly. 

“Hello?”

_“Hi, is this (Y/N) (L/N)?”_

“Yes, who is this?”

_“I’m calling from Cheli Hospital again. I’m so sorry, but I forgot to have you sign another document regarding Mr. Choi’s treatment. I was wondering if you could come by again soon to sign it?”_

“Sure, is tonight alright?”

_“Yes, that would be perfect, thank you!”_

The phone clicked and you immediately flagged a taxi down.   
...

“Again, I’m so sorry about this. I don’t know how this slipped my mind.”

“Don’t worry about it. The other day you were up to your neck in patients, so I don’t blame you,” you smiled as you read over the document. 

She clasped her hands together in apology. “The good thing is, we were able to start with treatment for the elixir. The document you’re holding is about his rehabilitation after we’ve detoxed Mr. Choi.”

You nodded as you grabbed a pen and signed your name before handing it back. 

“Oh that reminds me! Mr. Choi asked if he could speak with you again. He wanted to apologize about what happened last time, but I won’t say anything if you don’t want to see him.”

You paused. Though you were loath to meet with him again, especially after what happened last time, if he was sane enough to apologize then perhaps he could also answer some of your questions. Just enough to sate your curiosity and keep you from spending any more time on it. So you accepted. 

Beaming, the nurse smiled and led you towards his room, in the back of the hospital. It seemed like they upgraded the security since last time. She knocked gently on the door before entering. 

“Mr. Choi, you have another visitor.”

There was a pause before he replied. “ _Tell her to come in.”_

Nurse Lee then motioned you in and turned to leave, closing the door softly behind her. As soon as you entered the room, those unnatural eyes snapped towards you. Not daring to approach him like last time, you kept your distance, watching him carefully. Though he was still tightly restrained, you didn’t want to test their limits again. 

An awkward staring contest ensured, neither of you speaking, and the heat of embarrassment climbing up your neck until finally you had enough. 

“Nurse Lee said you wanted to speak with me.”

His expression didn’t change as he continued to stare at you in that unnerving analyzing manner. Then slowly, the corners of his mouth curled up like a Cheshire cat. 

“You came back.”

You crossed your arms. “The nurse wanted me to sign another document about your treatment.”

Despite this information, Saeran’s grin widened. “But you still came to talk with me, didn’t you?”

“Yes, against my better judgement,” you replied with a brow raised. “So what did you want to talk about?”

“I wanted to offer an apology. You came all this way to see me and all I did was scream at you.”

“That’s all right. I deal with screaming customers all the time. Though I have yet to be called a traitor by any of them.”

He chucked, though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. “You’re a funny girl...But you still ratted out that weakling Ray, didn’t you?”

“Ray? I thought you were the one who texted me.”

“Oh I forgot, you never even got to meet that poor fool. He was really excited about bringing you to Mint Eye...That’s too bad,” he shrugged. 

You paused, ingesting that bit of information. Was Ray the one who called you? No, Unknown had the same voice as the person in front of you. Shifting, you pushed the thought aside. You could think about that later, especially since he didn’t elaborate on it and probably wouldn't, even if you asked. 

“Actually, I wanted to ask you something. Why did you want me to pose as the R.F.A. party coordinator? And why did you list me as a reference?”

Saeran looked puzzled for a minute before his eyes widened and he burst into a cruel laughter. “That’s right! I almost forgot about that idiot’s plan! If I were him, I wouldn’t haven’t bothered with that lie. I would’ve locked you up right away,” he replied, his eyes glittering with malice. “But he was too soft to do that, and now look where it’s gotten us…”

A deep scowl appeared, marring his handsome features with hatred. “I’m glad at least the Savior managed to get away.”

Swallowing thickly, you squeezed your arms in some attempt to gain courage. “You haven’t answered my question.”

His eyes snapped back towards you, as if he’d forgotten you were there. “Do I have to? Figure it out on your own, Miss I’m too smart to fall for a trap.”

“Well, I’d like to hear your explanation first before jumping to any conclusions.”

Raising an eyebrow, he turned his head, indicating the conversation was done. “I’ll tell you if you come see me tomorrow. Visiting hours are almost over and you’ll have the day off. 

You balked, feeling goosebumps run up your arms. “How did you know I had a day off tomorr-Actually I don’t want to know. Don’t answer that,” you replied, walking out the door. You heard him burst into laughter again as you balled your fists up and nearly, _nearly_ , slammed the door behind you.   
…

In spite of that interaction, or perhaps because of it combined with the long day at work, you fell asleep quickly and easily. Though the next morning, you felt as tired as ever, Saeran's offer being being your first thought of the day. 

An answer, an explanation of whatever secret enveloped the R.F.A. and Mint Eye. Well, _maybe not the entire secret_ , but he was still offering valuable information that you wanted. 

He was practically bating you with it, you acknowledged, using your curiosity to lure you in and...and then what? What was his goal, his purpose in doing this? You sighed, running a hand through your hair. It seems you weren’t the only one with an agenda to fulfill. 

An old friend had always told you it was better to make a decision after sleeping on it, but you still hadn’t made up your mind. Instead you were still mulling it over from the comfort of your bed, with a cup of coffee in your hands. 

The easy thing to do would be to stay home and ignore his offer. Pretend that this never happened and use your common sense. But this was a chance that’d practically been handed to you on a silver platter. A sign that you should keep investigating this! And if you could whittle those two questions from him, then what else could you learn? 

You nodded and stood up from your bed, your mind made up.   
…

An hour later, you were standing outside his room, holding a small box of cake and coffee. It felt a bit strange bringing food to him, but it also felt rude to intentionally visit someone in the hospital without bringing them anything. And the last thing you were was rude.   
...

“So you couldn’t resist yourself, could you?”

Curling your lip, you fought the urge to walk right back out and slam the door in his smarmy face. However, it’d be a waste of your bus fare so you resigned yourself to taking a seat in a nearby chair.

Saeran looked better than the last time you saw him. Or perhaps because it was the first time you saw him during the day. Either way, it was nice to see him looking...healthier. His skin no longer looked translucent, although it was still incredibly pallid, like he'd never been out in the sun. His dark circles had also lightened up a bit, making him look more like he'd only lost a few days of sleep rather than weeks' worth.

And yet, none of this managed to take away that dangerous look in his eyes. Nor the confident smirk on his lips. In fact, it might've only increased it. And it was at this point you realized two things. 

1\. You'd been staring at him for way too long. 

2\. He was still tightly restrained to the bed, making it impossible for him to eat the cake by himself. 

Your cheeks were burning and the box suddenly felt like it weighed a ton. 

He immediately picked up on your embarrassment. 

"What? Are you going to ogle me all day or are you going to feed me that?" Saeran asked, pointing his chin towards the bag. 

You scoffed. "I wasn't ogling you."

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well don't make it a habit."

"I wasn't! Ugh, whatever..."You rubbed the back of your neck awkwardly, looking back down at the cake. "I...I'm sorry, but I kind of forgot about the...restraints."

He laughed, a pleasant and genuine sound that strangely suited him.

“You can always feed it to me then.”

“Maybe after you answer my questions.”

Saeran frowned, as if he'd forgotten what he promised you yesterday. “What were your questions again?”

“Why you wanted me to pose as the R.F.A. party coordinator and why you listed me as a reference.”

“Oh that.”

“Yes that.”

Whatever niceness that had induced his pleasant laugh from earlier evaporated, replacing it with narrowed eyes and a dark smile. You felt the hairs on your arms stand straight up. It was enough to remind you that this man had tried to take you away. The one who only regretted that he got caught in the process. 

You knew that he was looking for a reaction from you, something to tip the power balance in his favor. Blinking, you offered him your own smile. 

Saeran flinched, most likely out of surprise, before throwing back his head and laughing. “You’re really starting to make me regret not kidnapping you. You really would’ve made for such an interesting toy.”

“Mhm.”

Sensing that you weren’t going to give him anymore ‘interesting’ reactions, he sighed and pouted like a child whose...toy...had been taken away from him. 

“Savior and Ray both believed you were the best candidate for infiltrating the R.F.A. The plan was to make you throw a party for the R.F.A. and later use you to lure the R.F.A. to Mint Eye. But because of that soft-hearted fool, this happened.”

Again you were reminded of just what this man, no those people had planned to use you for.

“That’s...that’s terrible.”

He raised a brow. “Didn’t you watch the news? You should’ve had some sort of idea about what our plan was.”

“I did, but...why the R.F.A. specifically?”

Saeran frowned, a flash of anger contorting his features and his hands twitching into claws, digging into the fabric of his hospital pants. You tensed, ready to run at a moment's notice. But after a brief struggle, he relaxed, though you noticed the small amount of blood staining his fingertips. 

“For someone who avoided a trap, you sure are an airhead aren’t you?” He finally asked, his voice full of cruel amusement. 

You balled your hands into fists, leaving half-moon impressions on your palms. 

“I’m aware Rika was the head of the R.F.A. as well as the leader of Mint Eye. But I don’t understand why she would target them.”

His lip twitched up and you felt that same inexplicable fear rise again. 

“You know...the R.F.A. isn’t as innocent as they seem. Sure Jumin and his assistant woman aren’t that bad, but V and _that red-head…”_ he trailed off, his voice filled with such bitter fury that you wondered what they’d done to earn his wrath. 

According to the R.F.A. website, V was a famous photographer and the current leader of the R.F.A. And as the the red-head...You didn't see any among the 4 members, unless someone had dyed their hair recently. Still you didn’t press him on that member, fearing it could cause another fit. 

“So, then-”

“Feed me first. All they give me here is stupid rice porridge and I haven’t had anything sweet since then.”

You raised a brow. This was the only thing he'd asked you for, or perhaps ordered was more accurate, and it was over a slice of cake. With a long sigh, you grabbed the box of cake and opened it. 

“Are you allergic to anything?”

“Only bitter things.”

“I hope strawberry’s alright then,” you replied sarcastically. Carefully balancing a piece on the plastic fork, you held it out for him to bite. In a manner more aggressive than it should’ve been, he took the piece, his ears red. 

You continued to feed him, piece by piece until he devoured the whole thing. 

He closed his eyes, looking as content as you'd ever seen him. Then he opened his eyes and glanced outside, sighing. A bird sat perched outside the barred window, curiously glancing inside before flying away. 

"What's today?"

"Um, Thursday...why?"

"6 days...It's been 6 days since I've been trapped here..." His eyes snapped back towards you. "If you'd been only a little more naïve, Ray's plan would've already been 9 days in...But he didn't really know you that well, did he?"

The hairs on your arms stood up again. "I can't say that I've ever met him before."

Saeran chuckled again, in that bitter malicious way. "You should've seen how badly he wanted to meet you...but that fucking airhead never paid much thought to the important details. What a useless idiot," he scowled. 

"...I've been meaning to ask but...Who's Ray?"

"A waste of space."

You raised a brow but said nothing more on the matter, sensing he didn't want to talk anymore. As silently as you could, you threw away the trash and quietly excused yourself before leaving. All the while, a pair of silent eyes quietly watched you move. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So kind of a brief explanation for Saeran's character in this fic since I'm sure he feels different than both Suit Saeran and original Unknown. I feel that since this Saeran knows that Rika is safe and managed to evade capture, along with the hospital's treatment for the elixir he had to take, he's in a much better state, mentally, compared to SE2 Unknown. Especially since he still has hope and has a much earlier intervention for the drug Rika made him take during his days at Mint Eye.
> 
> As for his difference with Suit Saeran, this Saeran hasn't really had the chance to interact with Mc and neither has Ray. Therefore he doesn't feel jealous of, or threatened by Ray and doesn't feel the need to take it out on Mc right now. Another point is that Saeran in Another Story was induced by Rika pouring a whole lot of Elixir down his throat, meaning our boy at that point was super unstable. So without that, this Saeran is a lot calmer. 
> 
> I hope that clears up most of his character! And as always, thx for reading <3


	3. Sorrows

Mindlessly, you drummed your fingers along the smooth wood of your desk, scrolling through a report. You’ve read the same line 3 times already, but still had no idea what it said. It’d been like this ever since you came back from the hospital a few days ago, but you weren’t really sure how else to take in that encounter. 

The Ray person that Saeran had mentioned. Supposedly, it was his plan to bring you in. And it was him that had done all the preparations and research for your arrival. 

And the R.F.A. was apparently more insidious than it seemed. Or more specifically, there were two members in the organization that were much worse than the others. And it was because of them that Rika wanted to attack her own charity association. 

But what could they have done to make Rika do something so drastic? And where did Saeran factor into this? It seemed like he hated the R.F.A. with the same fury as that cult leader, but whether that was due to brainwashing or something that had actually happened, you weren’t sure. 

Running a hand through your hair, you stood up and walked down to the vending machine in the hallway. It was a five minute walk, but you need to do something, anything to clear your head. Corporate slaves didn’t exactly get hired to think about things like this. 

You punched in the code for a swiss roll and watched as the machine slowly released the snack. A hand then lightly tapped your shoulder, causing you to jump in surprise. 

“Oh Jaehee, it’s just you haha...nearly scared me to death there,” you weakly smiled. 

The woman raised a concerned eyebrow. “I’ve been meaning to ask, but have you been feeling alright? You seem to be quite on edge lately.”

“Ah, have I? Sorry it’s just I’m still feeling some anxiety over what happened…”

It was a low handed move, and while it wasn’t exactly a lie, it also wasn’t the truth. Still, it would be enough to stop her from asking any further, since you weren’t close enough for her to ask those kinds of questions. 

The last thing you needed was for Jaehee to find out you’ve been visiting Saeran in the hospital and then tell the rest of RFA what you’d been up to. They’d probably end up butting into your sort-of investigation and then what would you do?

Your words had the intended effect as Jaehee nodded sympathetically. “Yes, I’m sure that must’ve been difficult for you…”

“It’s all right, I’m sure I’ll get over it with time…,” you replied, bending down to grab your abandoned snack and ripping it open. “Swiss roll?”

Jaehee snorted lightly and took one of the cakes. “Yes, thank you.”

You offered a closed eye smile, trying to ignore the guilt that had settled in your stomach. 

…

  
  


“So...How’re you doing today?”

His unsettling eyes snapped towards you, fixing you with one of his deadly glare. 

You shrugged. “Just thought I’d ask. The nurse said they’re almost done with the elixir treatment.”

“Like I care. I was perfectly fine with that elixir.”

“You were perfectly fine with an elixir that caused chemical burns and intense headaches?”

Saeran’s mouth twisted into a snarl. “What do you care? The Saviour used that to cleanse everyone. It _helped_ people. It got rid of our pain, it made us actually feel _happy_ for once in our miserable lives. But what would a sheltered idiot like you ever know about pain and suffering?”

You lifted a brow in response. "Yes, and that's why the hospital is trying to find an antidote." 

Popping open the box, you pulled out the small tupperware container. “Nurse Lee said it was alright to bring you some food from outside, as long as it’s easy on the stomach.”

He rose a brow at the sudden change of subject, his anger subsiding at the mention of food.

“Ha...What did she think about the cake you brought last time?”

You felt the tips of your ears burn. “She doesn’t know, so keep that a secret.”

“Oh yeah? And what do I get out of it?”

“Well if you tell Nurse Lee, then I won’t be able to bring you anymore cake. You’d just end up shooting yourself in the foot.”

Saeran scowled again, before coughing awkwardly and gesturing towards the tupperware. “It’s not rice porridge is it?”

“Nope. You complained about that last time, so I got some chicken soup instead. Is that alright?”

He didn’t say anything, instead intensely staring at the bowl. Rolling your eyes, you handed him the tupperware. He carefully received it, the handcuffs around his wrists jingling slightly. They’d recently removed the restraints and had upgraded him back to more secure handcuffs. They were long enough that he could eat on his own now. 

A small spike of anxiety rose as you watched him take the first bite. Cooking wasn’t really one of your fortes and soup was probably one of the few dishes you could make well. Relief came just as quickly though when you saw the ghost of a smile grace his lips. 

After practically devouring the dish, he tossed it back onto the side table. “Not bad. To be honest, I expected worse from someone like you.”

You rolled your eyes again. “Thanks edgelord. It means a lot.”

“Edgelord?” Saeran huffed. “Just what do you mean by that?”

“It means you’re a person that likes and tries to be edgy. I’d say it fits you fairly well.”

This time he rolled his eyes, his gaze drifting towards the window. The bars were still there, as Saeran was still being held for questioning. 

After a few minutes of silence, he suddenly asked, “What do you want?”

“I’m not sure,” you admitted. “Answers, if I’m being honest, but you either don’t have them or you won’t give them.”

Saeran then fixed you with an intense look. There was a pregnant pause, before he shook his head, a sardonic smile on his face. “Go ahead and ask then. Maybe I know more than you think.”

“Oh...thank you,” You looked back down at your hands, pausing for a moment. “...Do you think you can tell me why you hate the RFA so much? I tried to figure why a charity group of all things would draw your ire, but...”

He rose a brow, that same arrogant look on his face. “Ha...Starting off with the heavy material first? You don’t have a bone of subtlety in your body, do you?”

You shrugged. 

He chuckled, all bitterness. “I guessed as much, coming from someone like you.” 

Saeran then leaned his head back, as if trying to recall distant memories. 

“It’s not the entire R.F.A. that I hate, you know...The brunette and actor are annoying and the director and his assistant are too meticulous for their own good, but,” he paused for a moment, trying to keep calm long enough to spit out those vile names. “V and Saeyoung…”

You leaned towards him, eyes serious. 

“When I was younger, I lived with my twin brother. I was the weaker one. My mother was a wretched woman. But my brother always looked out for me, he promised he’d never abandon me. Until one day he did. He left me behind. I was so stupid, I thought he must’ve died or something rather than think that he’d leave me behind. All alone to face that woman’s wrath. But one day, while my mother had left to get more alcohol,” he sneered. “A man came to our home. He said my brother had asked him to take care of me. And naively I believed him.”

Saeran glanced at you, as if trying to see what you thought of his story. 

“He took care of me for a while. Him and his fiance, Rika. But one day, I woke up alone again. Alone with Rika. And she told me the truth about everything.”

You rose a brow.

“She told me that my brother was actually fine, that he had actually just left me behind so he could live his life freely and unburdened by my weakness. That he had found a lucrative well-paying job and was living happily. That he had completely forgotten about me,” he sucked in a sharp breath. “Rika then told me that V had lied to the both of us. He’d left to go and join Saeyoung. He didn’t want to deal with us anymore because we were too broken for him to deal with. V was the one who had convinced my brother to abandon me. And he only took me in out of guilt until he couldn’t deal with me anymore.”

Saeran was gripping his bedsheet so tightly, his knuckles had turned white. “I didn’t want to believe her at first. But over time, I realized she’d been telling the truth. V never came to visit or check up on me. Neither did my brother. In fact, they both seemed perfectly content to live their lives without us.”

“They’re hypocrites, liars, traitors...You can’t trust any of them,” he warned, his voice low and dangerous. 

You studied his face. He was telling the truth. Or at least he believed he was telling the truth. 

From both the news and something Sehui had told you, you knew the cult had been brainwashing people with that elixir. And Saeran had ingested some of the highest amounts of elixir out of everyone that had been admitted. _Dangerously_ high levels. Worse, was that he said Rika was the one who had fed him this information. 

Still, some of this information had to be based in truth. And even if most of what he told you was a lie, he truly believed it. The pain he felt from these betrayals were real. Anger filled your chest just as tears threatened to prick your eyes, an annoying trait that always happened. But this anger was, mainly, for Rika. 

As for the R.F.A, for V and the red-head, you’d hold off judgement for now. At least until you could confirm their stories. 

“You can’t trust most people,” you finally replied. 

“And what about me?” He looked curious, though the glint in his eyes made it look more malicious. 

“I’m not sure. I’m still trying to decide that.”

He threw back his head laughing. “All these visits and you still don’t trust me, princess?”

You half-smiled. “Can you blame me? You were the one who tried to kidnap me by offering me a gig testing games.”

“Don’t you feel any pity for a man handcuffed to a hospital bed? So cold-hearted,” he sneered. “Damn, if Ray had known, he would’ve picked someone much nicer than you.”

“If Ray had known, he would’ve picked someone a lot dumber,” you countered. “Most people with common sense don’t answer unknown numbers.”

“What does that say about you, then?”

Shrugging, you grabbed the tupperware and placed it back in the bag. “It says that I was very bored that day.”

Saeran scoffed, but didn’t say anything more on the matter. 

…

Tightening your grip around your purse, you kept a careful eye on your surroundings. You ended up coming back from the hospital a bit later than usual and it didn’t help that the sun was setting faster and faster with each passing day. 

Which was how you noticed it almost immediately. 

The bright red sports car parked in front of your apartment complex. One that you were pretty sure had a Ferrari logo. Far too expensive for any one in this area to own, and one that stuck out like a sore thumb. Pressing your lips into a thin line, you veered away from the vehicle and sped up. Whatever or whoever that car was involved with, you did not want to know. 

You were just in front of the building when you heard the car door open. Your heart began to beat faster and your anxiety spiked up. Quickly reaching for your keys, you stuffed the metal between your fingers to form a sort of crude brass knuckles. And just as you were about to climb up the stairs, you heard a man’s voice call out to you.

“Yo! You’re (Y/N), right?”

Turning around, you saw a man with curly red hair and glasses. He wore a dark hoodie and had headphones hanging around his neck. He was leaning against the flashy car. At most he was 6 feet away from you. 

You gave him a confused look. “Uh, I think you got the wrong person buddy. Sorry.”

Climbing up the rest of the stairs, you stuck the key in and cringed when a hand slammed against the door, stopping you from opening it. 

“No, I think I got the right person.”

You froze, your hand still wrapped around the doorknob. Worse, you couldn’t even bring yourself to look at him, too fearful of what you would see. You could feel your breath quickening. Blood pounded in your ears, drowning out everything but you and the person next to you. 

“What do you want?” 

“Woah, easy there,” he replied, immediately backing off. “I’m not gonna hurt you or anything, promise! I just heard you have some information that I need.”

Like a spell, the tension left your body and you pulled the key out, but you opted to keep it in between your fingers. Eyes narrowed, you spun around and pointed an accusatory finger at the man. 

“If you wanted information, then don’t wait for me outside my apartment in the middle of the night like some creep!”

He held up his hands defensively, a smarmy smile on his face. “Sorry, sorry! But it was the only time I could catch you alone,” he replied, his eyes holding a dangerous glint in them.

You narrowed your eyes. “You know you sound like a perv, right?”

The man winked and you wrinkled your nose. “I assure you, my interests are pure! And my only pursuit is knowledge.”

Whatever joking demeanor he had, switched off with the change of topic. “So, why don’t we take a drive in my car.”

It wasn’t a question. Especially not as he wrapped an arm tightly around you and all but dragged you to his car. You knew you were supposed to run. You were supposed to scream and punch and kick. 

But, everything about the way this man carried himself screamed lethal. From the way his fingers dug into your arm to the bulge of a weapon that pressed against your side. You spared a glance at his face and felt another spike of fear. There were no emotions in his face and his eyes were as cold as ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sticks my hand out through a mountain of papers*
> 
> Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, but I just finished with my 2nd round of midterms and I think college is trying to kill me :))))
> 
> Anyways, I tried to go into a little more plot details as well as build up the relationship with Mc and Saeran a bit more since this fic is a bit more of a slow burn. I've never really written a slow burn before, so I hope this is going okay so far^^


	4. All the Angels

You sat stiffly in the leather interior of the car, gripping your knees so tightly, your knuckles had turned pale. It didn’t help that this car was worth more money than you’d ever see in your life. Just sitting in it felt like a crime.

The red head didn’t seem to care all that much though. He was all too comfortable as he drove the car at breathtaking speeds to the outskirts of town. You snuck a side glance at him. He wore a serious expression, his eyes as cold as ice. The ghost of his weapon, still pressed against your side, was a constant reminder of this man’s intentions.

Gradually, the sounds and lights of the city faded away as the man pulled into an abandoned parking lot. Your heart pounded in your ears as the purr of the engine fell into silence. A pause occurred before he turned to face you.

“Okay look, I’m going to ask you questions and you’re going to answer them. I’ve already done my fair amount of research on you, so don’t even try to lie to me or hide information. I will know immediately and I’d rather not use force so let’s keep this simple.”

Swallowing thickly, you nodded. You couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of information this guy thought you had, but whatever underground mess he was involved in you didn’t want any part of it.

Looking up slowly, you met his eyes. They were a strange yellow color that reminded you of molten gold. You blinked and felt a moment of deja vu as you looked at the rest of his features. The strong jawline, the straight nose, and pointed chin. Even the way his hair framed his face seemed familiar.

He scowled and for some surprising reason that was when it clicked for you.

“Saeyoung.”

Though you said it in a whisper, his name hung heavily in the air. Realizing you said it out loud, your eyes widened and you covered your mouth. The man’s demeanor immediately changed from threatening to lethal.

“How do you know my name?” The red-head, Saeyoung, all but snarled, his hand dangerously close to his waistband.

Swallowing thickly, you managed to spit out an explanation. “Well, Saeran mentioned having a twin brother named Saeyoung recently…”

As in not even an hour ago, but who’s counting, you wryly thought. Your answer must’ve been the right one as he ‘relaxed’ and went back to his previous state of just threatening.

“You know Saeran. I figured as much.”

An awkward pause passed before he spoke again.

“No one’s called me by that name in a long time...So what else do you know about me?”

“Um...not much. Just what your brother told me.”

The red-head pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a frustrated groan. “I’ve already warned you to not give me vague answers,” he growled.

You rose a brow, feeling somewhat emboldened by his rude attitude. “So? You’re a complete stranger and I never said that Saeran spoke favourably of you.”

Saeyoung froze. “What do you mean?”

You huffed and crossed your arms. “I mean he hates you.”

He sucked in a sharp breath, your words hitting him harder than any punch you could’ve thrown.

“Is that how he feels?”

“It’s what he said.”

Sinking back into his chair, Saeyoung seemed to deflate onto himself, like his worst fears had just been confirmed. You felt a small bit of guilt settle in the pit of your stomach. Just a bit. Normally you would’ve tried to soften the blow, but considering the circumstances, you didn’t feel any inclination to offer him any sort of pity.

However, the way he was behaving, the way he reacted to your words...It casted some doubt onto Saeran’s story about his brother. At least the forgetting about him part. Saeyoung looked much too worried and distressed over his brother to have done something like that purposefully. Though the lucrative job part seemed about right, judging by the car you were in.

There was another long pause as you waited for him to recover.

“I thought he was safe,” he finally said, shattering the silence. “Someone close to me promised he was safe.”

He’s a liar. You can’t trust him.

“You mean V.”

Saeyoung nodded, his hand tightly gripped the cross around his neck.

“So I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when that news story came out, and at the center of it-one of my former guardians who’s been presumed dead for the past 6 months. And on the list of victims is my own brother who was supposed to be living care-free.”

You looked over towards him before turning your attention back to your hands, unsure of what to say. But Saeyoung wasted no time in asking more questions.

“Has he approached you? V, I mean. A guy with blue hair and blue eyes.”

You shook your head.

“Alright. What about Rika? Has she approached or contacted you?

“No.”

“And...and Saeran...Did he say anything about where Rika is?”

“He hasn’t mentioned it. Otherwise, I’m sure she would’ve been caught by now.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Saeyoung chuckled bitterly. He leaned his head back, resting it on the car seat and closed his eyes for a minute, eyebrows scrunched together in thought. “Did he tell you why she did it?”

“Saeran said she was betrayed by V,” you paused for a bit, trying to remember. “But he didn’t go into much detail beyond that.”

“Figures. All of this,” he gestured with his hands. “This whole fucking mess ties back to him.”

The red head cursed again and slammed his fist against the dashboard. V had told him that Saeran was fine. He said not to worry about it. But...all this time, Saeran’s been under her influence...he’s been stuck in that castle in the mountains and V must’ve known...why else would he tell Saeyoung that. Another betrayal ripped across his chest and he could only feel pure rage towards the man he thought of as a father figure all these years. How could he? How could he lie to Saeyoung like that? And about the only person he cared about? The person he gave up everything for? He should’ve seen it sooner, should’ve known about it sooner.

The girl shifted, and his attention snapped back to her. She looked uncomfortable, to say the least. Her eyebrows were knitted together in a concerned manner as she watched him, a stranger, basically go through a mental breakdown.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice quiet and sweet like she was talking to a dangerous animal. He supposed that was a fitting description for him at the moment.

“What do you think?” he snapped back, unable to stop the rude words from coming out.

The corner of her lip twitched up, like he’d just told a joke. He raised a brow. “What’s so funny?”

“Saeran said the same thing when I asked him that.”

The red-head’s eyes widened a bit and hungrily latched onto the new information. There was still hope, he reminded himself. His brother was still alive. Broken, but still alive. He was being treated and he could still recover. Saeyoung took in a deep breath. He could deal with V later. For now, he just wanted to focus on the brother he left behind.

“How is he doing?” he asked. Saeyoung had been keeping up to date with the medical records in the hospital, but the girl in front of him had been visiting Saeran constantly. She was the one with first hand information on his brother’s state, free of medical jargon and full of observations and opinions.

The girl paused, looking down at her hands before meeting his eyes, as if gathering courage.

“I think he’s doing better, and though recovery, especially in cases like these, isn’t linear, I’d like to think that he’s making progress. But most of it will still depend on how much effort he puts in.”

He raised a hand to his chin. “So it’s mostly psychological damage?”

“I think so. The elixir that the Mint Eye members had been taking was...well it was a pretty nasty mix and Saeran was the one with the highest levels of it in his body.”

That made sense. His brother was probably Rika’s first victim, the first one to be inducted in her messed up cult. As for the elixir, Vanderwood had said something similar. Essentially, it was a drug made to brainwash people, created to blur the lines between reality and fiction, between joy and fear. Long term exposure was dangerous and too much at once was enough to kill a person.

Saeyoung clenched his fists, pressing his nails into the palm of his hand. V knew this. How could he not? That castle was the place that V had been spending so much time at. He tried to tell Luciel that it was to investigate the place, that he was trying to save his brother. But if that were true, then Mint Eye wouldn't have just fallen with a single well placed phone call. If it were true, he should’ve just told Saeyoung right away. He would’ve helped, even if it risked his job at the agency, he would’ve done it all in a heartbeat.

Otherwise, all his sacrifices would’ve been for nothing. And now he couldn’t help but wonder if that was true. Luciel had taken a different name, confined himself to the shadows, so his brother could live in the light. But it seems his brother was dragged to the underground anyways.

“Did the doctors say how long he’d be in there for?”

“About a couple weeks more. That’ll give enough time for the detectives to finish interrogating him and for the antidote to finish. I heard they also wanted to get started on therapy as soon as he’s stable enough to handle it.”

“So he’s going to be alright?”

“I’m not sure,” she answered after a pause. “But I think he will be.”

The red-head nodded, before starting up the car.

That was about as much information as he was going to get out of this office woman.

///

He stopped in front of your apartment. The entire car ride had been silent, his expression pensive. But before you could get out of the car, Saeyoung asked you another question that made you pause.

“Do you...Do you think I should go visit him?”

You sucked in a sharp breath, thinking back to how the very mention of the red-head sent Saeran into a spiraling rage.

“...Not now. I...I think he needs a bit more time to think things over.”

He nodded again, and you looked back at him, unable to stop the small bit of concern that had sprouted up.

“How are you feeling?”

A bitter smile crept its way onto his lips. “Honestly? Like shit. But thanks for asking.”

You chuckled. “Yeah, no problem. I know how you feel.”

Saeyoung paused, tapping his finger against the wheel of his car.

“Can I ask you for a favor?”

Raising a brow, you looked back at the man, studying him. Saeyoung wasn’t really in any position to be asking favors considering what he had just done. And the logical side of you was screaming at you to just shake your head and go home to get some much needed sleep.

But despite that, you didn’t really feel too much anger towards him. Perhaps because you knew he was doing all this out of concern for his estranged brother.

“Depends on what it is.”

“Can you keep an eye on him? Saeran, I mean.”

You snorted. “You didn’t need to ask a favor for that. I was already doing it.”

“Yeah, just thought I’d make sure. But one more thing,” Saeyoung added, tensing. “If V approaches you, don’t talk to him. Don’t trust him. He might have the face of a saint, but he’s a liar. The worst kind of person.”

“Alright...”

“And while I’m on it, don’t get any more involved with the RFA either. I know you work at Jumin’s company, but if he asks for any more info, keep your lips sealed.”

You nodded, “Thanks for the heads up I guess. But next time, don’t wait outside my apartment at night.”

Saeyoung grinned, a bright smile that contrasted with his dark eyes. “Kay. Next time I’ll wait inside.”

Rolling your eyes at the sudden change in mood, you shut the car door and made your way up to your apartment where you promptly collapsed onto your bed.

///

You were late to work the next morning and had to profusely apologize to your supervisor before returning to your desk.

“Rough night?” Sehui asked, her eyes wide with concern.

“Don’t even get me started,” you replied, shaking your head.

“Bad date or something?”

Saeyoung’s annoying face popped up and you felt your eye twitch. “Yup.”

“Ooh, you have to tell me what happened.”

“Over lunch,” you replied, watching Jaehee turn her head back around. It seemed she was still keeping an eye on you.

////

“What a jerk!” Sehui fumed. “But at least he paid for dinner right?”

You shook your head. “He didn’t even offer to buy me any. Just drove me a secluded part of the city and ugh!” The mere memory of it was enough to fill you with rage at the irritating red-head.

Her eyes widened at the implication and she stabbed her chicken with more force than necessary. “Well he’s lucky I don’t know him! Otherwise,” Sehui finished the sentence by ripping the aforementioned chicken apart.

The image of short little Sehui threatening Saeyoung was enough to make you burst into laughter.

“I-Thanks, Sehui…”

“Anytime,” she winked. “I’ve got a black belt in judo you know, so just tell me if he ever bothers you again. I’ll shoulder flip him faster than he can blink!”

An eager shine came into her eyes and for a moment you entertained the thought of Sehui tossing Saeyoung over her shoulder. You felt a burst of warmth for your friend, touched by the offer.

“I’ll make sure to point him out next time,” you joked, lightly bumping your shoulder against her. She grinned and bumped you back.

A small weight then lifted off your shoulders and you felt some relief in telling her part of the truth, in knowing that there was someone else to get angry on your behalf.

“Do you mind if I sit here?”

You both turned to see Jaehee standing with a tray of food in her hands, a rare occurrence for the always busy woman.

“Of course,” you smiled. Saeyoung’s warning rang clear in your head and you knew you had to stay calm. You had to act normally, otherwise you’d cause even more suspicion. Though what they could be suspicious of, you couldn’t be sure.

She smiled back and took a seat between you and Sehui.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I overheard you also have a blackbelt in judo, Sehui.”

You noticed Sehui perk up. “Yup! I didn’t expect someone like you to do judo though, Jaehee.”

“Ah, I don’t have as much time for it anymore. But it was always a nice way to destress.”

“Must be nice,” you sighed, shoving a piece of chicken into your mouth.

Your friend laughed. “Yeah, it would’ve been useful last night.”

Jaehee rose a brow. “Last night? Did something happen?”

“Just a bad date,” you waved off. “Nothing bad happened, but I still wish I could’ve shoulder flipped the guy.”

Her eyes widened, full of curiosity. “What does he look like? When did you meet him?”

Saeyoung’s warning rang clearly and you wondered if Jaehee already had an idea of what happened last night. It was entirely possible that the RFA had been keeping an eye on you, which meant they would’ve seen you get accosted last night.

But did that mean they were looking for Saeyoung? Probably. Jaehee never had time to eat in the cafeteria, much less to sit down and talk.

“Hmm, kind of handsome but annoying face. And I know this might sound kind of bad, but I met him in a convenience store,” you said, awkwardly rubbing the back of your neck. “I guess I should’ve expected a bad date from someone like that.”

Jaehee narrowed her eyes at the same time Sehui burst out into laughter. “You met him in a convenience store?”

“Yeah, I know, I get it. I’ve learned my lesson, Sehui. No more dates from guys I meet in convenience stores.”

Jaehee chuckled lightly, though the corners of her eyes were tight.

///

For once, you wished you asked for his number.

Walking home, you couldn’t ignore the itchy feeling on the back of your neck or the sense that there was someone watching you. No scratch that, they were following you. Every turn you made, every detour you tried, they were there.

And it was for this reason that you wished you could ask Saeyoung just what he did to garner the RFA’s interest so badly that they were following you around.

But they were wasting their time if they wanted to get a glimpse of Saeyoung.

Perhaps they knew it was a longshot too. That didn’t stop them from trying though.

You dodged into a corner store and watched as the blonde kid waited a few moments before following you in.

He looked young. About 19 or 20 if you had to guess, with bright purple eyes and a sky blue hoodie. Though the bags beneath his eyes made him seem older.

That probably explained why he was so terrible at being a stalker.

The boy didn’t even bother to try hiding himself, and instead stood next to you, also faking interest in the large array of chips.

You faked a large sigh before turning to him. “Man, they always seem to be out of Honey Budda Chips, huh?”

He jumped in surprise, his too wide eyes betraying his shock. “I-um, yeah haha...It sure is weird.”

“I heard you can only get them if you bribe the cashier, but even then, it’s difficult. You’d probably have to follow the delivery truck to get your hands on them.”

You flashed him a sweet smile and continued. “But you’d probably get arrested for that. Especially if the delivery truck driver noticed and got concerned.”

He swallowed thickly, making his Adam’s apple bop up and down, before forcing out an awkward laugh. “Y-yeah…”

Strangely, you kind of enjoyed making him sweat like that. There was something about him that made it fun to tease him. So you flashed him another saccharine smile and left the store. He didn’t follow you out.

///

But even without the boy following you, it didn’t stop the paranoia that ensued. It seemed Saeyoung had been right to not get further involved with the RFA. But it was too late to back out now. They showed no signs of leaving you alone.

///

The first thing Saeran noticed were the dark circles under her eyes and the way she looked over her shoulder before entering, as if paranoid someone was watching her.

It seems his words had a larger effect than intended. But he supposed that was the point.

To make her suspicious of the RFA and to drive her towards him. Still, even as she handed him a thermos full of Yuja tea and a tupperware lunch of chicken soup, he couldn’t help but wish for the 100th time that Ray had chosen someone infinitely more naïve than this girl.

Saeran knew she still didn’t trust him completely. It was evident in the way she heavily considered his words and narrowed her eyes.

In all honesty, he didn’t even understand why Ray had chosen her out of all the other girls they researched. Yes, he knew Ray was in love with her. But he still didn’t know why or how. There were no specific qualities that stood out about her, in fact she was painfully average in that aspect. Though he supposed he could see the appeal in earning her trust. In having a person so distrusting leaning only on you.

Actually, that probably lined up with Ray’s preferences.

“So what’s got you so paranoid?” he asked after finishing the surprisingly heartwarming food.

Predictability, she narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

Saeran rolled his eyes. “I mean you keep looking over your shoulders. You’re not really subtle, Princess.”  
The girl studied him for a minute, before looking down at her hands, probably weighing the pros and cons of telling him. Finally she sighed and lifted her head up.

“I’m being followed.”

His eyes widened, a spike of fear shooting through him as faint memories of men in suits came up. “By who?”

The words tumbled out of his mouth in a jumble.

“Someone in the RFA, I think. First it was a blonde kid and now...I’m not sure who.”

The tension melted out of his body and the relief he felt was palpable. “So the goody two shoes organization reveals their true colors.”

She chuckled. “I bet you’re excited to know your warning was not in vain.”

“I told you, didn’t I? You can’t trust any of them.”

“Should I consider this reason enough to trust you?”

He smirked, feeling very much like a cat that had finally caught it’s prey. “Obviously. I’m always right.”

Her eyes searched him again, before she shook her head and smiled to herself.

“And do you trust me?”

Saeran blinked, the question knocking him out of the blue. This girl was too stupid to lie, and even if she tried to, he’d catch it right away. But, she was just using him, just like he was using her. If he didn’t have anything valuable to offer, she’d leave him. Whatever kind of game she was trying to play, he could do it too.

“Yes.”

This time she rose a brow, considering him. Her skepticism was clear. “Really?”

“You’re the only one that visits me, even if all you want is information.”

“That’s hardly a reason to trust someone.”

He shrugged. “I can at least trust that you’d tell me the truth. I doubt you can lie very well, based on how subtle you are at asking for things.”

“I guess so.”

“And what else do you want to know today?” He asked, almost sarcastically.

“Today? Nothing I guess.”

Saeran raised his brows and she rolled her eyes.

“Is it really that hard to believe I don’t always come with the intention of asking questions?”

“Yes.”

She lifted her hands up and waved sarcastically. “Well, surprise! I don’t mind your company, sometimes.”

That caught him off guard. But he quickly masked his surprise with a smirk, schooling his expression back into one of confidence.

“Of course. Who doesn’t want to spend time with me?”

The girl’s lip quirked up, a hint of a genuine smile. “Yes, because you’re so pleasant and kind.”

Saeran grinned. “Don’t forget generous. After all, I’ve been providing you with all this free information to satisfy your curiosity. ”

“Did you want something in return then? It must get boring sitting here all day, with nothing but the T.V. to keep you company.”

Her voice was...genuine. It wiped the smirk right off his face as he turned to study her. The way she leaned forward, her expression open and willing. He had to pinch himself to snap out of it. She just wanted something from him. That's the only reason she was offering. No matter how genuine she sounded, she just wanted to use him. She was just faking that concerned expression. But it wouldn’t work on him. He knew better. After all, he was the one using her. And soon enough, he’d get his chance to escape.

“About time you offered, airhead. At this point I’d even settle for a children’s book.”

She laughed off his half hearted insult. “I’ll make sure to bring you one then.”

Saeran glowered at her, but for some reason, it didn’t seem to intimidate the girl. He felt a smidge of annoyance. How had she become so relaxed in his presence? How did she go from cowering in a corner to joking back? What was she doing?

Whatever tactic she was employing, it wouldn’t work on him.

He was the one that was going to use her. And when he had the chance, he’d rejoin the Savior and maybe he’d come back for his toy. Just to show her what good her kindness did her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait, but biochem is not the easiest major T^T. Anyways, thanks for all your kind comments on the last chapter, I really appreciate them, even if I don't always have time to reply ^^ So, I hope this chapter makes up for it :D


	5. Atlas

You closed your eyes and rested your head on the cool wood of your desk, allowing yourself the luxury of a short break and pretending that the office wasn’t in complete chaos for just a few seconds. 

As it were, the general public’s interest in Mint Eye had begun to fade, time smoothing over any initial shock the news had first instilled. However, this posed a problem for the news outlets as it meant their major source of news was gone. 

It was in this manner that they fell back on rumors and theories. 

Unfortunately for your department, the rumors the media had settled on involved your boss, Director of Internal Affairs, Mr. Jumin Han. 

The story they were passing around was that Mr. Han had secretly been funding Mint Eye. The reason for this claim? Because most of the cult victims had been previous R.F.A. party guests, the media was suggesting that it was Mr. Han who provided their contact information to Rika since he had once been good friends with her. Other rumors speculated that he was even hiding said cult leader in his penthouse. 

Clearly, it was a lie, one that could be easily disproved, but the general public was a bit bored and the story was _just_ plausible enough and _just_ sensational enough for everyone to start talking about it. 

Regardless, it led to a flurry of action within the department, as Mr. Han had been hauled off to questioning by several prosecutors and the legal branch was busy trying to figure out how to deal with the afterwake of such rumors. As such, the rest of his usual workload fell back on the rest of the office to try and pick up the slack. 

Not to mention, there was also the additional pressure of trying to complete all of said work perfectly and without mistakes, in order to prove how profitable and productive Mr. Han’s department was. 

It was pretty impressive that Mr. Han was able to think so far ahead. He must’ve seen this coming when he cancelled the cat project so suddenly. Jaehee must’ve also prepared for this because she handled the pressure of taking over for Mr. Han extremely well. Though no amount of planning could’ve handled the amount of phone calls from incessant journalists and reporters, all begging for the slightest bit of information and/or confirmation of the media’s accusations. 

Eventually, you cracked and told Jaehee to just direct the calls for you to handle. You still felt a little bitter towards her, but you were still coworkers at the end of the day. However, it had the cost of increasing your one workload for the week, so needless to say, you were very tired.

Sighing, you tried to muster up the effort and willpower to lift your head up from the desk and get back to work. Opening your eyes, you looked to your side and out the window. There was a lone bird, a small black speck against the skyscrapers of the city, flying against the cold December wind. 

A coffee cup and pack of swiss rolls being placed on your desk suddenly blocked your view of the bird, and you blinked, automatically sitting up. 

Jaehee smiled awkwardly and readjusted her glasses. “You haven’t eaten yet, right? I’m afraid I didn’t have time to get lunch, but hopefully this should be enough to tide you over until after work.”

You felt your heart skip a beat. 

“Jaehee, I love you.”

Her eyes widened and a bright red blush colored her cheeks just as you downed the coffee and all but devoured the small cake snacks. 

“O-oh, I’m glad you appreciate it,” she replied, tucking a small piece of hair behind her ear. “It’s only fair considering how many times you’ve done the same for me.”

You straightened up, already feeling the energy boost from the caffeine and sugar. “Ah, don’t worry about it. I mean, what are friends for?”

She looked down, off to the side, her eyebrows drawn together. “Yes...Well then, please excuse me, I still have to finish up some of Mr. Han’s work.”

And with that she walked off, her shoulders slightly drooping. It seemed Jaehee felt a little guilty over what she had done, or at least what she had tried to do. With luck, that meant her and the rest of that group would stop spying on you. It’s not that you had anything to hide( excluding Saeyoung and Saeran), but you were quite fond of your privacy and not having to constantly watch over your shoulder. 

Throwing the empty coffee cup and plastic wrapper in the trash bin, you pushed up your sleeves and got back to work. 

…

Needless to say, you were all but dead on your feet when you got back home. Not to mention that you were half frozen from how cold it had gotten. Autumn had passed in the blink of an eye, and with it, the last remains of summer’s warmth. It had yet to snow, but it was still cold enough that the frost penetrated through your coat and sapped the heat from your already tired body. You rubbed your hands together and tried to warm up the stiff joints. Hopefully, you’d be able to warm them up enough to grab your keys by the time you got to your apartment building. Lately it seemed to be the only place that offered a safe refuge from the craziness that had become imbued in your life. 

Or at least that’s how it was supposed to feel, until you noticed the lone figure with bright mint hair standing outside your apartment. Upon closer inspection, you noticed he was very attractive, despite the sunglasses that covered half his face, and dressed fashionably. 

You narrowed your eyes in suspicion, recognizing him instantly. 

V- the head of the R.F.A. and the man that both Saeran and Saeyoung had called a traitor. 

It wasn’t difficult to figure out why he was standing outside your apartment. Hell, it was probably the same reason Saeyoung did. Unfortunately, for V, said red-head’s warning had not been forgotten.

_"Don't talk to him. Don't trust him."_

But even without that, you would’ve still felt wary about him. There was something off about him that you didn't quite trust. The small amount of research you did on him only furthered that suspicion. Afterall, V was the person who reported Rika’s apparent suicide. 

There was no doubt in your mind that V was at the centerfold of this mystery and now it was painfully clear that he must’ve had some knowledge about what his ex-fiance was doing. 

Still, it didn’t seem like he was good at being inconspicuous since he stuck out like a lit match in a dark room. Not with clothes that cost more than a month’s worth of rent and a face that was almost inhumanely handsome. 

Clutching your purse tighter, you walked briskly towards the entrance of your apartment building. Hearing your approaching footsteps, he turned towards you and lifted a hand in greeting.

“Excuse me, are you (Y/N)?”

You stopped. V was all but blocking the door and was too close to ignore. “Yes and you are?”

He lifted his sunglasses up so you could see his eyes, a bright blue color nearly the same shade as Saeran’s. “My name is V. I’m the head of the RFA.”

“Whatever you want to know, I’ve already explained everything to Mr. Han,” you replied with a wave of your hand, but he didn’t move from his spot. 

“I’m aware of that. But I’d like to discuss some other things regarding Saeran,” he smiled kindly, a stark contrast to his hard tone.

You pressed your lips into a thin line. Somehow you had a feeling he wasn’t going anywhere until he spoke with you. 

“I’m guessing you’d like to discuss this inside?”

V nodded, the lightest blush of shame on his face. 

...

You stared at the man sitting across from you, the untouched cups of coffee on the table acting like a barrier. Neither of you had said anything since you first offered him the drink, instead engaging in a strange game of bluff. A polite host would’ve enquired what business he had here, something V must’ve been relying on to start the conversation. However, you didn’t feel very amiable after he’d all but forced himself into your home. 

After a few more moments of this, he sighed, breaking the austere silence in your kitchen. 

“I’m aware that you’ve been visiting Saeran in the hospital,” he stated. His tone was not accusatory, but merely factual, as if he were stating the time. There was no room to contradict or deny him, so you took a sip from your coffee.

“...So what exactly has he told you?”

You raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

“I’d like to know how much he’s told you about Mint Eye,” he said, placing the cup back in it’s saucer with a small tap. “As the head of the R.F.A, I think it’s important to learn as much information as possible.”

He really had an earnest face, you regrettably noticed. It was the kind that one would easily trust to watch their bag in a library. 

“And what will you do with that information?” 

There was a long silence. V considered you for a moment, his eyes searching yours with a wary, critical look. 

“I’m afraid that’s confidential,” he said after a long pause. 

“Then I guess I have nothing to say,” you replied coolly. “Unless you’re interested in quid pro quo?”

Another long pause then occurred. You felt a little guilty making the offer, especially after knowing how the twins felt about him. However, this was your chance to get more information. The whole mystery of the R.F.A. revolved around him and his fiance and you were sure he had those last missing puzzle pieces. 

You watched his expression carefully, a range of emotions passing by as he considered it. V probably hadn’t expected this from a simple office worker. Neither had Saeran. If they had, you probably wouldn't have been involved in all this. 

V’s expression hardened and you knew you’d won. 

A small defeated smile graced his features and V sighed deeply before speaking. 

“I understand why Mint Eye’s plan failed now,” he chuckled. “I doubt they had expected someone like you.”

You took another sip, unsure of how to take the compliment. “So what did you want to know?”

“I’m sure Jumin already told you a bit about Rika...and I’m sure you’ve heard about her in the news. Did Saeran say anything about her whereabouts?”

“No,” you replied. “All he said was ‘I’m glad at least the Saviour managed to get away' _._ ”

V sighed, his shoulders drooping as if he expected this answer. “I see…”

You shrugged. “Well, it’s not surprising that he wouldn’t give up the information. After all, he’s very devoted to her.” You placed your mug down. “What is Saeran to you, V?”

He blanched, the color draining from his face. Another thing he wasn’t expecting. V stayed silent for a moment, thinking. It was clear he didn’t want to talk about it, but it was one of the few ways you could test his veracity...and maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to explain why he left Saeran. 

There was a full minute of silence before he spoke. “It’s a bit of a strange story...Are you sure you want to hear it?”

You hesitated. There was something in his tone of voice that made you wonder if you’d gone too far, too early. Still, you might not get another chance like this. So you nodded, hands tightening around the now lukewarm coffee mug. 

V shifted in his seat. “Well...I used to be Saeran’s legal guardian.”

“When Saeran was younger, his mother gave up legal custody to Rika and I. And we had been taking care of him up until Rika left me. When she left, Saeran had disappeared with her.”

You frowned. “But Saeran told me it was you who left him and Rika.”

“No...It was Rika that left me. And I...It wasn’t until a month later that I discovered what she had done and what she had been planning all this time.”

“You mean Mint Eye.”

He nodded, the corners of his eyes tightening. “By the time I noticed, it had grown so large and out of hand...I didn’t know what to do.”

“But...why didn’t you just call the police?”

V didn’t say anything for awhile, instead choosing to stare into his still full cup of coffee. You pressed your lips together, unsure of what to make of him. Afterall, it seemed like a simple enough solution. But it made you wonder if there was something more to the story, one too complicated to answer with a simple sentence. 

And it made you wonder why you thought getting information from this guy would be easy. 

“Have you ever been in love before?” he asked, the smallest smile on his face. 

You winced. He noted your reaction and continued. “Rika...it was my fault that she left.”

V said the sentence in a voice laden with guilt and regret, worse was you could see how much it had pained him to even admit that much to you. And suddenly he seemed more like a person than an enigma. And one that felt remorse over the way everything had unfolded.

“You don’t have to elaborate if you don’t want to,” you offered. 

He shook his head. “No, it’s alright. It’s a fair question to ask. But...even so, it was my fault that that poor child got caught up in this mess. That’s why I’m glad he has someone to look over him now.”

You bit your lip, the question on the tip of your tongue. But it probably had the same answer as the first question.

“So, how is Saeran? I heard the hospital has already started administering the treatment for that drug.”

“Physically, the doctors said he’ll be able to recover. However, he’s still suffering from a lot of mental trauma…”

You felt your eyes narrow as you remembered Saeran’s story...even just describing what he went through as mental trauma felt like an understatement. 

V’s frown deepened, his shoulders drooping slightly, as if the weight on them had increased. “Do you know if he’s been doing therapy, then?”

“Well…” you bit your lip and thought back to what Nurse Lee had called you about the other day. “They tried...but he didn’t take too well to it.”

He grimaced. “I was afraid of that. But I’d like to ask something of you, if that’s alright.”

“It depends on what it is”

“I want you to keep looking after the child. You’ve already seen him at his worst, and so you already know that he’s a weakling. But if you could just keep visiting him like you do, ask him how he’s feeling and keep talking to him. That’s all I ask.”

You felt your eye twitch, your knuckles turning white from how hard you were clenching your cup. “He’s not a child,” you cooly replied. “He’s an adult who’s been through more than any person should have to go through in their lifetime. And secondly V, you have no right to ask that of me when you couldn’t even do it yourself.”

V made a pained expression. “I’m aware the request I made may have been...poorly worded, but please know I only want what’s best for Saeran. Right now, he needs someone to rely on, and I think you are that person for him.”

“How would you even know that?”

“Please don’t take this the wrong way...but I’ve been monitoring you for some time now.”

You blinked. Then you blinked again and chuckled, like a totally normal person that not was not sleep-deprived and utterly exhausted. “So you’ve been following me?"

“Not exactly...You see, I tried to go visit Saeran the night he was brought into the hospital, but you arrived there before I could do anything,” he explained calmly, as if he hadn’t just admitted he’d been stalking you. “Naturally, I was curious as I’d never seen nor heard of you before. But I’m sure Saeran would not have called you there if he didn’t think he could trust you, which is why I said that.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, you pressed your lips together and tried to relax your grip. “Right...Do you know how strange this makes you sound?”

He chuckled, finally lifting up his cup to take a sip. “Yes, I’m aware. Although the situation was strange to begin with…”

You closed your eyes. The situation was strange, but you were starting to think that V was stranger. From what he was telling you, it was Rika that had left him and took Saeran with her. And he blamed himself for Rika leaving. V even admitted it was his fault that Saeran got caught up in this mess. It seemed like he was telling you the truth, but it didn’t make him anymore trustworthy. 

“...So you lied to Saeyoung...you told him his brother was safe, just so you keep Rika out of trouble?”

He winced and turned his head to the side. “It’s not that simple.”

“Isn’t it? You lied to protect her...and now everyone’s in a turmoil.”

“That’s not...It’s not the full story. There’s more to my decisions, no matter how irritation they may seem.”

You rose a brow. “And you’re not going to explain, are you?”

“Please understand it’s for your own protection. I’m already doing everything I can to keep those boys safe from further harm, especially now that Saeran has been brought back out to the light. The truth, the rest of the truth...it’s best if as few people know it as possible.”

The truth? What truth could be so dangerous that it was worth all this pain and damage? But before you could ask yourself any more questions, he spoke up, his winter eyes tragic and dull. 

“It’s getting a bit late. I’m afraid I’ll have to excuse myself before I encroach anymore on your hospitality,” V said, standing up from the chair. He then extended his hand to yours to shake. “Thank you for your time.”

You shook his hand and walked him back to your front door. “Yes, of course…”

He then paused on the threshold of your doorway, as if contemplating something before speaking. 

“I hope this isn’t too much to ask for, but would you mind keeping _this_ meeting and everything about Saeran a secret? Especially from the R.F.A.”

“Why?”

“Like I said before...it’s best they know as little as possible. Not only is the truth dangerous enough as it is, but they’re already struggling to accept Rika’s involvement with Mint Eye. Anything more could destroy the organization...so please…”

You contemplated him for a second. V’s voice tugged on your heartstrings, his eyes pleading with you to understand and accept. 

_“He might have the face of a saint, but he’s a liar. The worst kind of person.”_

You understood what Saeyoung finally meant by those cryptic words. However, if V was willing to go this far to keep everything a secret, to burn so many bridges and hurt so many people, then perhaps he had a point. So you nodded.

He sighed in relief, the tension draining from his shoulders. “Thank you.”

“This isn’t something to thank me for.”

“Still...It’s better than what others would do. So I’ll thank you regardless, for both this and for the questions you’ve answered.”

You could only tighten your eyes in response and watch as he walked away, his steps heavy and unsure, like he carried the weight of the world upon his shoulders. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait between this chapter and the last, but life likes to keep you on your toes and this chapter was a bit harder to write than expected. But anything's possible when you don't want to study for your midterms :))) Hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> Edit: If anyone is confused about whether they've read this before, I originally had this as chapter 3 but took it down because it felt too early.


	6. Pale Blue Eyes

That night you ended up lying on your back, staring up at the dark ceiling in some poor attempt to formulate your thoughts. Though you were completely drained, you felt way too complicated to actually fall asleep with dozens of questions bouncing around in your head. 

What did V mean by the truth? 

And what could be so dangerous that he made it a point to ask that you keep things a secret from the R.F.A? 

Ugh. You groaned and turned over onto your side. Was V always so cryptic with his words? And just what did he mean by “doing everything I can to keep those boys safe from further harm?” Were they in danger or something? And then there was that Ray person Saeran had mentioned...someone that no one else seemed to know or care about...

Well, whatever he meant…you couldn’t let it mess with you. You still had a job to go to tomorrow, one that was still suffering from the consequences of V and Rika’s actions. And though it may have been Rika that started that cult, the blame also fell on V’s shoulders, for not stopping it in its tracks as soon as he found out. 

Though he admitted it was out of love...you couldn’t understand how anyone could act so irrationally. Even if he wanted to protect her, to preserve her image, how long did he intend to keep up that charade? How many people would have he allowed to get hurt, to be caught up in that cult, until he finally drew the line?

Apparently for as long as possible, seeing as to how he allowed Saeran to get caught up in this...and then he lied to Saeyoung about his brother’s safety. Not to mention he wanted to keep the R.F.A. in the dark about Saeran...Though he said it was because he wanted to protect them from the truth, you wouldn’t be surprised if he just didn’t want them to find out how badly Saeran had suffered in Rika’s little group. 

You huffed and turned over in your bed. And then there was Saeyoung who seemed to be under the impression that his brother had been safe this whole time. He was genuinely concerned for Saeran...But if he felt so strongly about his brother, then why did he leave him behind? Saeran had been right that Saeyoung had a lucrative job, but you had the feeling he hadn’t abandoned his brother voluntarily. The red head mentioned that V had promised him his brother’s safety...which meant that V either had a hand in convincing Saeyoung or he actually had made Saeyoung leave Saeran behind. 

Regardless, it didn’t paint V in the best light. 

However, as much as you would like to pretend that you never met with that man, it was irrefutable that he held more knowledge about the entire situation than you did. You’d finished with the cornerstones of the puzzle, but V had the entire portrait ready to be sealed or torn apart again. 

With a sigh, you pulled your blanket over your head and closed your eyes. It was best not to think too deeply into the matter. You still had work tomorrow. 

But even in your dreams, those pale blue eyes followed your every move. 

...

You blinked as Sehui looked at you expectantly. 

“What?”

She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee. “I said, I have a friend that’s looking for a blind date and I asked if you wanted to go?”

“Uh...I don’t know...We’ve been pretty busy lately.”

“What about on the weekend, though? You’d have free time then, right?”

You winced. “Actually Sehui, I already have plans-”

She suddenly gasped, raising her hands to her mouth in overexaggerated shock. “(Y/N)...Don’t tell me…”

You felt your eyebrows knit together. “Hm?”

“You have a boyfriend, don’t you? Wait...It’s not that convenience store dude is it?”

“Sehui, hold on,” you laughed, lifting your hands up to stop her in her tracks. “I don’t have a boyfriend and god no, I’d never date that guy.”

The short woman raised her brow. “Then what’s got you so busy that you’d miss out on a hot date?” She paused to pull out her phone and show you a picture of a handsome man with dark hair and bright green eyes. “Look, see? He’s a nice guy and not bad looking either, just don’t tell him I said that. Plus, what's better than getting drunk with a cute guy after a stressful day at work?”

You could only shake your head. “Listen, I appreciate it and I’m sure he’s nice and all, but I was going to meet up with a friend tomorrow. He’s in the hospital and the only time I have to visit him is on the weekend.”

She raised her brows again, surprised by your admission. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Is he okay?”

“Yes, he’s fine right now...He just needs a bit more time to recover.”

“That’s good to hear. I’ll just tell my friend you’re busy...but just in case, I’ll leave you his number,” she winked as she slid across a yellow sticky note with a phone-number hastily scribbled on it.

You gave her a deadpan stare as you grabbed the paper and tucked it neatly into your pocket. “Thanks.”

Sehui only grinned in response, looking quite pleased with herself. 

…

The next day came as a welcome reprieve from your busy work week, and you felt some satisfaction at being able to stay in bed for just a bit longer than usual. As such, you took your time getting ready for the day. However, there were still a few things you had to do before leaving. 

You pursed your lips, scanning through your small library of books. However, none of them really seemed to be something Saeran would like. 

Romance novels, old school textbooks, fantasy, historical fiction, mystery...None of them really fit the boy with bleached grey hair. 

The amount of effort you were putting in to find something for him was almost comical, especially when considering that you weren’t even friends. Still, as much as you were loath to admit it, he did make a good point. Up until now, he’d been answering all of your questions for basically nothing other than a free lunch here and there. 

Of course, you were sure he must’ve had some alternative purpose up his sleeve. Saeran wasn’t the type of guy to give out information like that for free. The detectives questioning him had even told you as much. 

But even so...it’s not like you would stop visiting him. In fact, you kinda liked spending time with him. It was fun to tease Saeran and see how red his cheeks would get. The corner of your lip quirked up at the memory. 

The nurses and detectives would probably call you crazy if you ever said that out loud though. He hadn’t exactly acted...friendly towards them, something that they always complained about. 

But before you could give it anymore thought, you felt your hand skim over the spine of a familiar and worn out book. You blinked and gently tugged it from its place in your overstuffed bookcase. 

_The Little Prince_. 

A children’s book that told the story of a young prince who leaves his home to visit various planets in space, before finally coming to Earth. 

You snorted softly. Saeran had been joking when he mentioned a children’s book, but somehow you had a feeling he’d like this one. 

…

“Are you intentionally trying to piss me off?”

“Nope.”

Saeran scoffed as he gingerly picked up the book as one would a worm or a slug. “Then why did you bring this to me? Or are you really that much of an airhead?”

“Maybe. I’m still visiting you after all,” you replied. “But I think you’ll like this one. It’s one of my favourite books.”

Saeran pressed his lips into a small frown as he turned the book over. “Hah...Figures you’d like something this simple.”

You rolled your eyes at his statement. After a few more seconds of inspecting the book, he spoke up again. 

“How do you know I’ll even like this dumbass book?”

“I just have a feeling you will.”

Saeran rose a brow at this, looking extremely skeptical. “And just what makes you so sure, princess?”

“You’re asking me a lot of questions today,” you half-smiled. He narrowed his eyes again and muttered something under his breath before opening the book, like a reluctant teenager. It was strange how similar and different V's and Saeran's irises were, despite both being the color mint. While V's were tragic and pale, like a washed out advertisement, Saeran's were saturated and full of energy, like a bright neon sign. 

But to answer his question, you had no idea. It’s not like the two of you were particularly close, and even now you couldn’t put a name to your relationship with him. Still...he wasn’t exactly unpleasant to be around. In fact, you’d come to look forward to these visits, even if there wasn’t any information to be gleaned. 

Warm sunlight trickled into the room from the window facing the east and you felt your eyelids grow heavy. 

Closing your eyes, you leaned back in your chair, the sound of flipping pages and quiet scoffs fading into the background of your thoughts. 

Inevitably, those thoughts drifted back to the R.F.A. and a certain redhead. 

Saeyoung, one of the first questions he had were about V’s whereabouts...which meant V had been hiding from him. And now that V had actually gone and visited your home, the redhead probably had a better clue about where he was. But then why would V risk that? Was the information you provided really that valuable or was he just that desperate? 

Not to mention Saeyoung would probably want another word with you, now that you’d gone and ignored his warning to not talk to V. 

Ugh...then there was the RFA. If V had been hiding from Saeyoung, then chances were, he was also hiding from his charity group. Which most likely meant another talk with Mr. Han. 

Of course, that didn’t even touch on the paranoia that came with knowing that there were people watching your every waking move. All of this had just combined to give you days of sleepless nights. 

You sighed deeply and lazily opened your eyes, feeling like the weight of all your worries and questions was finally getting to you. There were so many pieces of information and yet there were just as many missing variables that teased your curiosity and dealt lethal blows to your rationality. 

And in spite of this, Saeran, in the midst of your crisis, was poking around through the rest of the books that you had brought and making a variety of expressions, ranging from a disapproving frown to a small nod of approval. From the ones that he liked, he placed on his bedside and the ones he didn’t were tossed haphazardly back into the small bag you’d brought them in. 

At the top of the books on his bedside was _The Little Prince_. 

You smiled softly and closed your eyes again, feeling the drowsy warmth of the late afternoon sun and the weight of all those sleepless nights, busy nights, and the stress of feeling like your every waking moment was being tracked by someone. Stretching, you adjusted your sitting position and yawned. 

In spite of your buzzing brain, you actually felt relaxed enough that you felt yourself nodding off. 

But it was strange that you’d do something so vulnerable in front of someone so...dangerous. Maybe because you knew he didn’t expect much out of you. Maybe because the sun was so warm and inviting. Or maybe because you knew no one was watching you here. Regardless of whatever reason it was, you ended up falling asleep in that hospital chair. 

…

Saeran watched as the girl slowly slumped forward to lean her forehead on the foot of his bed. 

He felt a scowl form as he watched her readjust her arms to rest more comfortably. But somehow he couldn't bring himself to shove her off the bed or wake her up. 

Maybe because he’d taken notice of how dark the circles beneath her eyes had gotten, or maybe because he knew how dreadful sleepless nights were. He wasn’t sure. 

Lately Saeran had found himself questioning a lot of things about this girl. All of them had been traitorous thoughts and at first he attributed them to Ray’s infatuation with her, but now he wasn’t sure if that was even the case.

She was odd.

That was the one thing Saeran was sure of.

Since her last visit, he’d become hyper aware of her, watching her every movement for any sign of deceit or cunning. But all he found were little quirks that were irritably annoying, like the way her lips quirked up whenever he scowled or how she inexplicably leaned towards him whenever he spoke. It was enough to make Saeran want to scream at her just to see her tremble in a corner again, just to see the fear in her eyes. 

Anything to get rid of that soft gleam in her eyes. 

Saeran wasn’t sure what that emotion was, or why she looked at him like that, but he certainly didn’t like the way it made him feel so...vulnerable. As if she could somehow see past his hardened exterior. 

No...he didn’t like it one bit. 

The worst part was that he still hadn’t a single clue as to what her motives were. Before, he was aware that she desired information, not because she worked for the detectives or anything but simply for her own curiosity. Though she hadn’t asked him for anything lately. It made him anxious. 

Briefly, he entertained the idea that she was doing it to lower his defenses, but Saeran knew that wasn’t something she would do. 

He would’ve been able to sense it anyways.

She then sighed, drawing his attention towards her again. Late winter sunlight lazily filtered into the room and created a sunspot around the two of them. 

Was it possible that she’d been telling the truth when she said she didn’t mind his company? 

Up until now, he’d brushed off the words as something to coyly deny the truth. Thinking back on it though, she’d been more exasperated than anything. 

The idea made him smirk a bit. 

It meant his plan was working, even if it did come with some annoying drawbacks. But that was fine. 

As long as it worked in his favor, he was fine with it. Anything to help accomplish his plan. 

Speaking of which...just how long had he been trapped in this place? It must’ve been at least 3 or 4 weeks, but he wasn’t sure. The days had just blurred by, only marked by her visits and the detectives useless interrogations. 

He knew he was due to be released soon, by the end of the month according to the nurse he overhead. Which meant he still had to figure out to get in touch with the Saviour.

It’s not as if he didn’t know where she was. He was perfectly aware of where the hideout was. The issue was in trying to actually get there, not only in terms of transportation but in going undetected as well. 

Then there was the issue of his father as well...But if the man hadn’t bothered with him yet, then he doubted the bastard would do anything now. 

Saeran shook his head, as if to rid himself of those nerve-wracking thoughts and focused on the Saviour again. 

The actual hideout was hidden well enough that no one of any importance would find her, and packed with enough resources to survive until the news inevitably died out. 

When the Savior had first formed Mint Eye, they’d formed dozens of plans and backup plan’s for situations like these. In this case, it was scenario B-15. And the plan required that Saeran find a way to get back to the hideout. 

Inside, he felt Ray tremble. 

Of course the little idiot wouldn’t want to leave her. Afterall, this was basically his dream, to be cared for and liked by this girl. But it’s nothing that couldn’t be arranged once they actually got out of here. It wouldn’t be difficult to take her back with them. 

Saeran smirked. It’d be fun to see her defiance crumble once she realized she had no power over him. And wouldn’t it be fun to see his toy locked away like a little doll? But...she probably wouldn’t smile like that anymore. 

He shook his head. No, it was stupid to even think of her feelings. All he needed to know was that she would help him when the time came. 

…

When you woke up, it was dark. 

After blinking a few times, vague outlines formed into more solid shapes, and you suddenly remembered that you were still in the hospital. Worse was that you’d actually fallen asleep on the edge of Saeran’s bed, with a single pillow underneath your head. 

“Finally awake?”

You felt the heat crawl up your neck as you quickly sat up, wiping your face and desperately hoping you hadn’t accidentally drooled. 

“Ah...I’m really sorry about that. I guess I was more tired than I realized,” you awkwardly offered, checking the time. Visiting hours were almost up. 

He rolled his eyes and reached over to turn on the lamp, flooding the room with a pale yellow fluorescence. “Yeah apparently. I couldn’t even read your dumb book in peace.”

You rose a brow. “You couldn’t read it in peace even though I was asleep?”

Saeran flared his nostrils, and though you were practically colorblind in the dark, you could already imagine the light flush against his pale skin . “No. You’re too annoying, just snoring and talking all the time. It really got on my nerves.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Whatever, shouldn’t you be going home already? This isn’t a hotel y’know.”

You rolled your eyes good naturedly, unable to help the small smile on your face. 

“Alright, I’ll see you later then,” you replied, standing up from your chair and stretching. “And thank you...for the pillow.”

He made an inconsequential noise and snatched the pillow back from where you were sleeping. A light red colored the tips of his ears. 

“Oh, before I forget. Do you have a favorite movie or something? That way I can actually bring you something that you like next time.”

Saeran narrowed his eyes, looking at you with the strangest expression. It was the same look stray cats gave you whenever you offered them food-wary and hesitant. 

At some point you wondered if he was even going to answer, and just as you were about to excuse yourself, he spoke up, in words so quiet, you wandered if he’d even spoken them. 

“Phantom of the Opera.”

Processing his words, you felt a spark of warmth in your chest and you smiled. “Alright. I’ll try to get my hands on a copy then. 

His eyes widened just the slightest bit as you gently closed the door behind you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some kind of fluff for Valentine's day! Even if it's kinda late lmao. Hope you guys enjoy it! (On a side note tho, what was up with that Valentine's event Cheritz did? Was it like a Twitter thing or...? Idk, I don't have twitter and I'm confused.)


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